Tomorrow
by suddenlysomewherethatsgreen
Summary: They made it through tonight, and now they have tomorrow. Finally out of Skid Row, Audrey and Seymour are ready to attempt to start their new life. This follows them through the first year. Post theatrical ending COMPLETED
1. Prologue

_**Author's note:** This story has been in the works for a loooong time. I originally started right after I finished "A Child Of The Street" and it was meant to be a sequel, then it took on many different shapes and forms until finally landing on this many months later. This is the very first actual piece of post musical I have written so this will be different. Also plan on this referencing my other stories a whole lot, but I'll try to make it so you don't have to have read them. The reason is because I think this may be the last story of mine so I want it to be special. God only knows though. An important thing to know is that all my stories take place in the same universe. This will as well. All of this will be original straight from my own brain. Shout out to somegirlwrites for proofreading my material and for just being awesome in general. And you all know this already but I don't own Little Shop Of Horrors._

* * *

 **Prologue**

 _ **"Don't you be** **frightened** **,**_ ** _don't be afraid._** _ **If we see** **tomorrow,**_ ** _we've got it made."_**

Audrey had been many things in her lifetime. In her teenage years she had been a waitress at a Skid Row diner. She'd been a shop hand in more places than just Mushnik's, and often more than one shop at a time. She was the arrangement consultant at Mushnik's florist, and a good one at that. And of course she had once been a dancer of sorts. As for Seymour he had only been two things in his life. An orphan and then a shop hand.

Although he had been few things he had been called many things. When she was still alive his mother had called him "Sweetheart", but he went on to being called just "Krelborn" for the next 24 years. More often than not he was just "Krelborn", enough to the point that as a child he just assumed that was his name. Mr. Mushnik had called him a number of names like "slob" and "klutz". Those who didn't know him called him "kid". All these were nicer than the things he called himself. Up until Audrey came into his life no one had ever called him "friend".

Audrey went by many names as well. Most recent were "Slut", "dizzy cow", and "scatterbrain". Her mother had called her "Audrey Mae" when she wasn't called "whiner". Her father wasn't around to call her anything at all. She was "pipsqueak" as a child on the playground, perhaps the most innocent of her nicknames in school. But Seymour was the one who called her what she wanted to be called, and that was just "Audrey". And to her he was never "Krelborn" but always "Seymour". That was the magical thing about leaving the city. They could _be_ Audrey and Seymour.

It was November 28 1964 when Mushnik's florist came crashing down on the famous Audrey ii. Just after midnight on November 29 they left on the train, also the day they went from an idea to actually settling on a location. November 30 was the day they got their marriage license and December 1 was the day they got married. She was his December bride. As for the beginning of December itself it was a great blur of jumbled events from finding a house, to moving what little they did have there, to adding to that, and then finally calling it a home. The year had been unnaturally warm and it wasn't until after they moved in that their lawn lost the magic hue Audrey so often fawned over. But unlike many things in her life, she knew this would come back.

Audrey and Seymour had been friends for a very long time, this is true. However, their romantic relationship from the time between their first kiss and when they decided to elope lasted a total of nine days. There was much still to learn about each other.

For instance they learned that while they both are willing to wait for the cookies to bake, eating the dough was much better. They learned that they both liked movies but they liked staying home to read books more. Seymour learned that Audrey liked to take a long time in the bathroom in the morning, and he would have to plan ahead if he wanted it. After seeing Audrey's perfect hair for so long he learned what a hassle rollers and hairspray actually were. He learned how long makeup took and how much effort goes in. He also learned that even when Audrey did neither of these things she was still just as beautiful to him. They learned they both could cook, but neither were good at it.

Audrey learned that when Seymour made a mistake he would often hide it instead of confessing. It took him a while to get over this and understand that Audrey was his wife and not his boss. She would understand. Audrey learned that she didn't have to apologize for every little thing that she had no control over. She knew Seymour wouldn't hurt her but this had become a lifelong habit. Seymour learned that when Audrey was having a nightmare the best thing to do was to wake her and hold her. Audrey learned that for Seymour if you'd wake him and sing or talk he'd calm down. Unfortunately this fell into a routine, for they each had many. They learned that if one of them calls the other "sweetie", "honey", or "darling" it was rare they would get an answer, having never been called those before. They also learned this could be gotten over. Seymour learned what Audrey's laugh sounded like. Working in the shop on Skid Row mirth was scarce and he had only heard it under very necessary occasions. But now she laughed often. Audrey learned how much she truly loved seeing Seymour smile.

They learned that outside of Manhattan hardly anyone had heard about the famous Audrey ii after the publicity fell through. They learned this way they could each truly be Audrey and Seymour.


	2. December 10

**PART ONE:**

 **WINTER**

 **December 10 1964**

"AUDREY!"

Blood. Why did there have to be so much blood. She was growing paler and paler.

"Don't die, Audrey. Please don't die. I need you."

Her lids were heavy. Her mouth hung open. He felt the weight of her in his arms, and the gasp of her final breath.

 _What have I done?_ rang through his mind as her hand disappeared behind the teeth. _This isn't real! Wake up!_ But it was. She was gone.

"You ate the only thing I ever loved!" he wailed.

The green demon's laugh rumbled like thunder.

"You're a monster and so am I! It's gotta end! It's gotta stop right here!"

He felt the vines knocking him down on the shop floor and the roof falling on top of him. The pain was real. He felt the tendrils and vines wrap around him like a vice, making escape impossible if it was even wanted. He wanted to scream, but at the same time to not. Whatever happened he deserved. He'd hurt her. "Audrey! Audrey! Au…"

"Seymour!"

They weren't vines around him anymore, but soft arms.

"Seymour! Seymour wake up!"

He opened his eyes. Audrey's face was pinched in fear by the light of their bedroom lamp. But she was there. She was okay. He reached out and placed his hand on her cheek. This felt more real. This wasn't the dream.

"Audrey," he mouthed.

"Seymour you are okay," she gasped. "You're home. You're safe."

He nodded in agreement and tried to calm his rapid heartbeat.

Audrey bent down and held him close, pressing her cheek against his. Seymour wrapped his arm around her. This wasn't the first of Seymour's nightmares. They had come every night since they left Skid Row. They were almost always about Audrey, but he sometimes saw Mushnik as well, sometimes Orin, and sometimes the entire world being consumed by these beasts. Audrey was always there though when he woke up. She was always there to hold him. Seymour just wished he could have left the past in Skid Row and Audrey knew it would take some time. He glanced at the clock. 1:46 am.

"I'm so sorry Audrey," he murmured, "I didn't mean to wake you. You shouldn't have to worry about me."

"I'm your wife now," she stated, "It's my job."

His heart fluttered at her saying this and he squeezed her tightly.

"We have tea. And we just bought some sominex. Would you like any? It might help."

He sat himself up and took both her hands in his.

"Could we maybe stay up for a bit and talk?"

She leaned forward and kissed him. "I'd love to."

Audrey swung her feet off the bed and headed out the room. Her white nightgown flowed elegantly behind her as if she were some sort of angelic being. Seymour heard the pat pat pat of her bare feet down the hallway. He didn't hesitate. Grabbing his glasses, Seymour climbed out of bed and followed her down the hall to the kitchen. The overhead light was turned off but the shades were open and moonlight lit the room a pale cool blue. Audrey was at the sink filling the kettle and smiled over her shoulder at him. After a moment she turned off the tap and walked the kettle over to the stove and lit it.

"That still surprises me," she said, taking a step back. She looked over at him. "That it works," she explained. "Every time. And the faucet too. It doesn't even leak."

She smiled and stepped over to their table. They had recently purchased a small round and white table and two chairs. It sat awkwardly in the middle of the room as they still tried to figure out exactly how to layout their house.

He followed her over to the table. She took his hand and held it, and began to toy with his fingers between her own.

"We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, but if it'll make you feel betta' we can."

Seymour had to seriously think about this. He didn't want to trouble her but the weight had become heavy.

"It was like the one I had before," he sighed. "Where I was just too late to save you."

She squeezed his hand. "But you did!"

He smiled for a moment but it went away when he bit his lip. "And… you died in my arms."

"But I didn't."

"And it won."

"But it didn't Seymour! It didn't win! You did. You stopped it, and saved everything."

He glanced down as she continued to fidgit with their hands.

"I know how you feel though. It's hard to believe it. I keep forgetting. Not just the faucet and the stove but I keep expecting that I'll wake up in my apartment, with my arm still in a cast, and watching you sweep the floors."

Unknowingly a smile crept on his face. "Me too."

"I've had that nightmare."

He looked back up at her but now she was the one staring at their hands.

"A few times now."

"Audrey?"

Still looking away she shook her head. "But they'll go away I'm sure," she continued. "Just gotta give it time to heal. It did awful things but it's ova' now. All ova'. It'll all go away."

He didn't look entirely convinced.

"It WILL go away," she assured him.

He closed his eyes and rubbed his face with his free hand. "How can you be so sure?" he whispered.

Audrey leaned against the table. "Because it has to."

Slow and quietly at first, the kettle began to sing. Audrey squeezed his hand and rose from the table. She shuffled about the cupboards to grab two mugs. Seymour watched her do this and saw once again how all their cupboards and counters were almost empty. They didn't have much. What little Seymour had before hadn't survived the shop's downfall. Audrey didn't have much either and there was very little necessary to salvage. They only took what they could carry on short notice. Seymour had saved his money and kept it tied up in a rubber band in his suitcase that very evening. They had managed to extract that and he decided the cash and a folder was all he had wanted to keep. It was just enough. It was enough to start their life but not enough to live off of very long. He knew he or Audrey would need to find work soon. They had began to cut corners while they could. Being as poor as they were in the past this came as second nature. They wouldn't last much longer, or they would have to go back.

"I couldn't sleep eitha'," she commented. Audrey poured the kettle as she spoke. Steam erupted from the spout. "It's quieta' here. Nobody's out on the street hollerin' at each otha'. There's no sirens or cars even. It's quiet. I neva' consida'd that."

"Is that a bad thing?"

She smiled and shook her head. "No, it's wonderful."


	3. December 12-19

**December 12 1964**

"Seymour!" Audrey screeched.

He bolted from the bedroom and into the living room. Audrey was kneeling on the couch staring straight out the window.

"It's white," she gasped.

Enchanted, he stepped forward and joined her. Little white flakes fell from the sky like feathers.

"It was neva' white on Skid Row," she thought out loud. "Not for long anyway. The street was too dirty. It was brown or grey. But here…"

Her eyes were wide and fixed on the window like a child. The first of many snowfalls they would be seeing this year and years to come, but by far the most magical. Neither were thinking about how later they would have to go out and shovel it out.

* * *

 **December 16 1964**

She could've been mistaken for an angel. Sleeping on her side with the moonlight cascading across her face, Seymour couldn't help but stare still in disbelief. When things seemed too good to be true they often were. Still, day after day he woke with her beside him. Tonight she hadn't set her hair in rollers and her platinum hair framed her face. Seymour wanted to reach out and brush it out of the way, but didn't want to risk waking her. She readjusted in her sleep and brought her right hand up near her face. In the dark night he still managed to see it. Across her wrist in a broken ring of off colored scars, rested the stains of her last relationship. Seymour kicked himself, not for the first time. Not too long ago he saw the bruises that formed these, and the handcuffs in her bag. Why couldn't he have helped her any sooner? Why hadn't he done something? Why couldn't he have been stronger? Why hadn't he noticed? Unconsciously, Seymour reached out and ran his finger along the scar on her wrist.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

"It's okay," she breathed, "you didn't know."

* * *

 **December 17 1964**

"I'll have to find something," Seymour remarked, sliding the newspaper closer to him.

Audrey sat across with her elbows resting on the kitchen table and face propped up by her palms.

"What were you thinking?" She asked.

Seymour sighed. "Well I haven't done much. I don't have experience."

"That doesn't matta'. You have life experience," she remarked.

A smile flashed on his lip for a moment, remembering this exact comment not too long ago.

He ran his fingers on his temple and turned the newspaper over. There was a large ad for a shophand in a dark square. He kept his eyes fixed on it. Audrey reached out and placed her palm on top.

"Is that really what you want to do?" She asked, suddenly very serious.

"I hadn't considered what I'd want to do."

She looked upon him sadly.

"You're not in Mushnik's anymore. Only go back if you want to. But if you don't this is the start of something brand new. And I know you'll do somethin' great."

"Like what?"

She smiled. "I don't know but it'll be great."

He reached out and grabbed her hand, holding it in his. He was touched by her undying faith and wished he could share in it.

"What about you?"

She sighed and pivoted the paper around so it was facing her.

"I don't know. I've done many things. But there was nothing I liked more than building floral arrangements."

"Then do that."

She glanced up at him. "What?"

"If it's what made you happy it shouldn't matter where you do it."

She smiled. "Plants are what made you happy."

He frowned.

"At least until lately," she added gently.

"What did you used to want to be when you grew up?" He asked, attempting to change the subject.

She turned her eyes away and took a long sip of her orange juice before answering.

"I wanted to be a motha'," she murmured.

Seymour cocked his head. "Really?"

"My own motha' could hardly ever be around so…"

She looked at him and smiled. "What about you?"

Seymour drummed his fingers on the table as he thought back.

"It changed a lot. I remember when I was really little I wanted to be soldier. Probably because I always saw so many around and in the paper. I thought about getting my own airplane and flying far away."

Audrey smiled in admiration.

"When I got to be older I wanted my own shop."

Audrey looked intrigued and he continued.

"At first it was just the thought of not being the one being screeched at to sweep the floors. But the more I thought about it the more I liked the idea. Just not on Skid Row. Never on Skid Row."

He looked down at the table where his eyes traced the pattern on the placemats. He'd always thought that one day he would own Mushnik's shop, but growing up and even as an adult he had never asked him. Before recently Mr. Mushnik had never even treated it like a possibility.

"I wonder if there's any flowa' shops around here," Audrey said turning back to the paper.

She scanned the help wanted ads and found nothing in that vein.

"I haven't seen any."

She frowned and folded the paper back. "Well, maybe there's just enough green here to go around."

* * *

 **December 19 1964**

"Seymour?" Audrey whispered barely after he had turned off his bedside lamp.

The bulb was still hot. He reached over to turn it back on but Audrey held his arm.

"Seymour how do you feel about kids?"

He couldn't make out her face in the dark and just saw the outline of her hair in the light from the moon in the window.

"What about kids?" he asked.

Audrey sighed and traced patterns on the sheets with her finger. "I don't know. We haven't been married very long. It's stupid."

He took her hand off the sheet and held it in his own.

"Audrey don't say that. It's not. I want to hear how you feel."

No one had ever said that and she felt almost breathless responding.

"We said we wanted three or four…"

Seymour smiled and nodded.

"...was that for real? Or was that just talk? A lot was going on that night and I'd understand if you changed your mind."

"Audrey it wasn't just talk," he stated before she could quite finish.

"Really?"

He ran his thumb back and forth on her palm.

"I honestly never thought I'd have any."

"Really? Why?"

She heard the sheets move as he shrugged. Her eyes were beginning to adjust to the dark and she could just make out his face, though grey and blurry.

"I didn't exactly have the life you'd expect to have kids in."

She adjusted her other arm under her pillow, laying on her side facing him.

"Me neitha'." She took her hand from his grasp and pushed his hair out of his face. "But I neva' expected to have this life eitha'. I hoped and dreamed but..."

She saw him smile. "Me too."


	4. December 21 - January 4

_**Auth**_ _ **or's**_ _ **note:**_ _I am going to star the parts that are heavily influenced by my other stories, so if you'd want to know where it's coming from or where to find a story like it you'll know._

 _*Light in the Window, credit to Carla Thomas for "All I Want For Christmas Is You"_

* * *

 **December 21 1964**

It was Audrey who insisted on having a tree. Seymour couldn't have cared less whether or not Christmas came and went. He had never celebrated it anyway. Mr. Mushnik didn't and he wouldn't have invited Seymour even if he had. Even though they didn't have the means to actually celebrate it, Audrey was determined to have one anyway. Audrey's mother had never put one in whatever apartment they had at the time. They usually didn't have the room. One year they found an almost bald one in a dumpster. That had been her favorite. But nothing compared to the ones they had to choose from here. How to get it home was going to be an issue though. Growing up in the city it was never necessary for either of them to learn how to drive. Now that had become a problem. Most errands they needed to run were usually within walking distance, but that wasn't possible with a tree. And they couldn't exactly take one on the bus.

They decided that whatever they'd do they'd make a day of it. They traveled into the more focused part of town where the shops were held. Seymour enjoyed watching Audrey poke her face against each window like a child. There was so much more life to her now than before. Sometimes she ran ahead, calling at him to follow, but most of the time she stayed at his side with her arm looped around his. There was one shop in particular that stuck out to her and she pulled him to follow. She saw green in the window. Perhaps a tree could be found.

Audrey pushed open the door and half expected a bell to ring above the door, but there wasn't one. Having been living on Skid Row her entire life she was surprised to see how well put together the shop was. The wallpaper wasn't pealing and the floor looked clean. There wasn't a single plant in sight, but rows and rows of books. The shelves were painted an emerald green which initially caught her eye.

Without saying a word she worked her way down an aisle and Seymour followed just behind.

"Seymour look," she said stopping in her place and pulling a book off the shelf. It was white with a hardcover and a square photograph of a shrub on the front. "The Advanced Guide To Botany" read the title.

Seymour exhaled a small laugh and took the book from her.

"I've never seen this before," he stated. "The only ones I had were Mushnik's old ones or from the second hand store."

"Well then get it," she encouraged.

He looked up and shrugged. "I don't know if I'll be growing anything soon."

He slid it back into its spot. Audrey glanced back at the shelves and squinted as she read the titles. She crouched down the further she read until she was squatting on the floor. It was then she smiled and pulled one out. It looked like an encyclopedia with a thick green cover.

"Mista Mushnik had this one," she explained, handing it over. "It's not really about plants, just their meanings."

Seymour opened to the middle and saw sketches of flowers surrounded by words. He smiled at the memory of reading this book in the past.

"Will you get it for me for Christmas?" she asked.

He laughed. "But then you'll know what it is."

She took the book from him and held it against her chest. "You can wrap it up anyway and stick it under the tree. I'll pretend to be surprised."

"Fair enough," he stated.

She turned away. "But now I have to find something for you."

She raced down the aisle before Seymour could protest. Audrey stuck out her hand and ran her fingers along the spines of the books as she walked. They continued down one aisle and then another. Heading toward the front, Audrey stopped in her tracks and Seymour nearly bumped into her. She stretched herself to grab a book on the top shelf and handed it to Seymour who looked at it. It was paperback and light brown. On the cover stood a small blonde boy standing on top of a planet surrounded by the stars. "The Little Prince" was written in black cursive.

"I had that one growing up. Can we get it?"

Seymour opened this new book.

"I've never read it."

He tried to make out what it was about by the illustrations but was greatly confused. He saw sheep and elephants and a man with a top hat. None of them seemed to correlate. There was one illustration in particular that caught his eye. The Little Prince was standing on his planet surrounded by plants. Their roots and tendrils were consuming the planet itself.

"It's not real," she explained. "That'd neva' actually happen. But it's different."

"What's it about?"

She brought a hand to her hand to her chin and drummed her index finger on her lip.

"Let me think if I can rememba'. There's this Prince, and he's all alone. Then he finds a plant and goes to great lengths to preserve it…"

Seymour was staring at her.

"I'm now seeing the humor in this."

"What happens?"

She tapped her finger on the cover. "You'll have to read to find out."

Seymour closed it and tucked it under his arm. Audrey smiled and continued down the aisle up to the front of the shop. A woman who looked to be in her 40s with red hair was waiting at the register. Audrey gathered the book from Seymour and placed them both on the counter in front of her.

"Are you new around here?" she immediately asked.

Audrey glanced herself and Seymour over quickly. "Y-yes. Is it that obvious."

She shook her head and smiled. "No I just haven't seen you around before."

Seymour breathed a sigh of relief and Audrey realized he was worried he had been recognized.

"Where are you from?"

"Manhattan," Audrey answered, deciding not to be too specific about where.

"Oh really? Gee it must be very different here."

Audrey smiled. "You have no idea."

"What do you think of this town so far?"

Seymour spoke up. "You wouldn't happen to know where any flower shops are nearby, would you?"

The lady frowned and shook her head. "No. There's none around here or anything like it. It's a real shame." She glanced down at their purchase. "Do you like plants?"

They exchanged glances and Audrey nodded.

"You'll certainly see a lot of them in the springtime. It's very green here."

Audrey smiled and reached for Seymour's hand, giving it a slight squeeze.

"Just these two? Is there anything else you'd like?"

Seymour pointed to the foot tall plastic shrub which sat behind the counter for decoration.

"Is that for sale?"

And just like that they had found their first Christmas tree.

* * *

 ***December 25 1965**

 _Has it really only been a year?_ Audrey wondered to herself. She glanced over at Seymour, fast asleep. She wanted to shake him and shout, "Wake up! It's Christmas!" but resisted the urge. As silently as she was able, so as not to disturb him, she crept out of bed and tiptoed down the hall to the kitchen. Outside the window it was snowing again, filling up her empty flower box with powder. As she fished about the kitchen, retrieving eggs from the refrigerator, and flour from the cupboard, she thought back on their last Christmas.

They were only just kids in the shop, sharing hopes and dreams but at the same time almost too shy to talk to each other. Who knew they'd be where they are now?

It was only just last summer Audrey had moved into her apartment across the street and gotten a job and Mushnik's. Every day, even before they left, she thanked God that she ended up in THAT apartment on THAT street across from THAT boy. Slowly as they began to speak they became friends. Just as the air began to grow chilly Audrey realized what had been happening. She kicked herself for being so dumb as to set herself up for another heartbreak. She decided it was better off to have a friend. Meaning _he'd_ be better off with her just as a friend. It was perhaps last Christmas that she changed her mind. Alone in the shop in the long hours surrounded by poinsettias and Christmas carols they confided their secrets with one another. Audrey learned about Seymour's past. How these plants were the only family he had. Later she'd learn his mother was dead and his father was AWOL. Audrey shared that she too had lost a mother. Two lonely orphans in one shop.

Along with the new year came her need for cash and her new job. It quickly changed her mind about herself back to what she knew was true. Any chances she might've thought she had were foolish dreams. In the springtime just before the weather grew too hot, she met Orin. He had money, he had a professional job, and he liked her. She couldn't ask for more. It wouldn't be fair to. That summer was the longest in her memory. And that's how it would be. She was sure of it. But just at the beginning of fall the shop was visited by a small visitor from another planet. It was still a sensitive topic for both of them. It wasn't a secret, they both knew what had happened. But they chose to keep the past in the past when they could. In the end through one way or another they ended up together. She wasn't trash, she was special, and Seymour showed her that. And he learned how much he had truly been loved all this time. Which brought them to this house, making pancakes on Christmas morning.

Seymour woke just a few minutes after she had started cooking. He heard her singing down the hallway. It sounded like a Christmas song. He grabbed his glasses off the bedside table and followed the sound and smell down the hall to the kitchen.

" _Let the kiddies have the toys_

 _Let the grown-ups make the noise_

 _Give the neighbors all the presents_

 _Under the tree"_

Audrey had a bowl in her arm and was whisking with her other hand. Hearing him, she glanced up and smiled brightly. She continued to sing. Seymour smiled in admiration. Audrey put the bowl back down on the counter and spun around in a dance.

" _Give the snow and mistletoe_

 _To the ones who love them so_

 _But you'll be quiet enough_

 _For me"_

Seymour wondered how on earth he could be this lucky. Without a word she reached out her hands and pulled him toward her. She grabbed his arm and swayed side to side. Seymour couldn't dance, he could never dance. He'd trip. He'd fall and hurt himself. But Audrey wasn't about to let him fall.

" _When old Santa rides his sleigh_

 _He can please me right away_

 _With a present that forever will be new"_

He was finally doing it. He was finally dancing with Audrey. He twirled her under his arm just like he saw in the movies and she beamed with pride toward him. Going back to hold him close she lay her head down on his shoulder as they swayed, wishing to stay in this moment forever on.

" _Tell him my poor heart would sing_

 _If one gift he'll only bring…"_

Seymour sang along with her.

" _For all I want for Christmas_

 _Is you."_

* * *

 **December 30 1964**

When they arrived home late in the afternoon there was a black car in the driveway. They exchanged glances as they slowly stepped forward. Rounding the corner they noticed there was a man on the front step impatiently shuffling his feet. Neither of them recognized him. Audrey grabbed Seymour's arm with both her hands and held tight. By chance he turned around and saw them both. He looked to be around 40 and gave off the same vibe as the reporters and agents who had made Seymour's life a hell as of late. None of them had followed them to the suburbs, but there was a first time for everything.

"Are you Seymour Krelborn?" he asked.

His voice got caught in his throat, wondering whether or not to tell the truth. "Yes, I am."

Abruptly he stepped forward and grabbed his free hand, pumping it up and down as he shook it.

"Boy am I glad to see you. You've been one tough cookie to track down."

Audrey increased her grip and Seymour could feel her nails through his jacket.

"I'm sorry, but who are you?" he asked.

The man removed his hat and held it in is hands.

"The names Arnold, I'm with the insurance company."

Audrey let out a breath that sounded about half relief. They had just bought the house, perhaps he was just a salesman.

"Would you like to come in?" she asked.

The man glanced back at the house and nodded.

Seymour reached into his pocket and fumbled with his keys before unlocking the front door. Audrey and him both stomped the snow from their walk off their shoes before stepping in.

"Could I get you anything?" Audrey asked, removing her jacket and hanging it on the rack. "Coffee? Tea?"

"Tea would be fine."

She nodded and stepped out of the room. The man moved himself to the plastic covered couch and brought his briefcase up to the coffee table.

"I don't normally make trips like this," he explained.

"Oh? Where are you coming from?"

"Skid Row."

The both heard a loud CLANG from the kitchen as if the kettle had hit the floor and bounced along the tile.

"Audr…"

"I'm fine!" she called, though her voice sounded jittery.

Seymour bit his lip and turned back to the man. "Y-You're from Skid Row?" he asked.

Arnold nodded. "That's where my practice is located. I'm here on behalf of Gravis Mushnik."

Audrey reentered the room. Often when Audrey was nervous or uneasy she would fumble with her nails or fingers, but now her hands were shaking too much to do so.

"It… the kettles on the stove," she explained. She took a seat next to Seymour and he grabbed her hand out of her lap and held it tight.

"I'm sure you heard about what happened to the shop. I think it might've been around the time you left, because we stopped seeing you in the paper."

He opened his briefcase and extended an excerpt from a newspaper. It was much smaller compared to the long articles and large press Audrey ii had been getting. It stated simply "Electrical fire destroys famous plant" with a grainy black and white photo of the outside of Mushnik's florist. They didn't mention the plant by name, or speak much of it at all. What followed was an explanation of how the shop had been destroyed suddenly. It was almost as if when Audrey ii was gone so was the spell, and people had stopped caring.

"We don't think you did it," Arnold explained, seeing Seymour's apprehensive expression. "Unless you are capable of knocking down the entire shop by yourself."

Audrey let out an shaky laugh.

"I'm sorry sir but… then why are you here?"

The man reached into his briefcase again and pulled out a manila folder. He continued to speak while feathering through it.

"The shop had been insured by Mr. Gravis Mushnik. The man had no family left at this time, so we've come to you. Out of curiosity, how long was it that you worked for him?"

Seymour fumbled with Audrey's fingers between his own, and she reached out her other hand to settle him.

"13 years."

Arnold's head shot up. "Gee, really? Then this is definitely well earned."

"What is?"

He glanced back down and shimmied one page out of the folder and extended it out to Seymour.

"The money has been left to you."

* * *

 **January 4 1965**

It wasn't much they were left. It wasn't enough to build a new Mushnik's from the ground up. However, it WAS enough to buy an already existing storefront and turn it into one. Seymour decided to keep the name Mushnik's, either for nostalgia or from guilt. The name and the arrangement consultant were the only two similarities between the two shops. Not building the shop in the ghetto was the first change. Audrey and Seymour found an open location in the more centered part of town just three miles away. That way they wouldn't have to deal with the bus and walking was entirely possible until one of them learned how to drive. Instead of a pasty yellow, Audrey decided she liked a mint green for the walls. She hung photos she found in antique shops of bouquets of lilies and roses. The floors were a hardwood as opposed to the checkered linoleum. Seymour knew that the bouquets in the front window had to make the sales themselves. By default at the original store they were brown, due to the constant reusual of unsold flowers. Audrey designed them herself and the flowers never even looked thirsty. For unnecessary caution, nothing more exotic than a succulent could be found in their shop. They didn't hire children for this shop either, but a friendly staff of a few workers from around town. At first the door didn't have a bell above it, but Audrey and Seymour had been so conditioned to listening for one they had to hang it up. They were up and running before the big Valentines sales had begun.


	5. January 11-30

**January 11 1965**

 ** _Warning: Violence and themes of_** ** _rape_**

She could tell where she was by the stench alone. A foul grey turmoil she had smelt her entire life and grown accustomed to. The suburbs didn't smell like this. She was back on Skid Row. Audrey shivered. She was outside without a coat. But where was she outside? It looked like some sort of alley. There were brick buildings on either sides of her and a cement ground with dips and potholes full of frozen rain. She didn't recognize this exact alley, but there were so many, who could tell? She desperately wished for a coat. She didn't even have the sun to warm her. The air was as black as night. Maybe if she moved out of the alley she could find warmth. Surely she would know where she was if she stepped out onto the street. She couldn't be far from her apartment or Mushnik's.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Audrey spun around and froze. "I-I was gonna go find somewhere warm."

He stepped forward. His boots echoed in the night making her shutter.

"Did you forget your sweater again you dizzy cow?"

She looked down at the ground. "No docta'."

"Good. You're not going anywhere."

She didn't move. He snaked one arm around her and held the back of her head with the other. She closed her eyes, remembering the oh so familiar sensation. She remembered what she'd do in these unpleasant times.

 _Green. Think of somewhere that's green. Green grass that he'll trim and…_

"Wait!" she exclaimed, gasping for air and stepping away. She felt so giddy she could laugh. "This isn't what happens. This isn't real."

He looked vastly confused and irritated.

"Seymour!" she called up the alley, turning her back to him. "Seymour come find me! I'm down here!"

He scoffed. "That kid who works with you? What's he got to do with anything?"

She turned around and beamed with pride. "He took me away from all this. We aren't togetha' anymore Orin. This isn't real."

"What'd you call me?!"

She gasped and took a step back on instinct before she relaxed. "You can't hurt me anymore."

He took several steps forward. She backed up until her back was against the cold brick. He was nearly against her, making escape impossible.

"Oh yeah?"

He brought one hand across the face and she staggered on impact. Dream or not the pain was very real.

"Seymour! Seymour help!"

"Now why would he do that?"

Audrey grabbed her reddening cheek and looked up at him with eyes which were quickly filling with tears. "B-because he loves me."

He grabbed her chin with his hand and moved her head side to side to examine it.

"You think so? You really think so? With all your… charm?"

She didn't answer or nod, but sat still. His hair was greasy over his face and he was standing so close it was almost grazing her.

"I mean just look at yourself. What do you have to offer?"

She let out a quiet sob and looked down. She crossed her arms across her chest and continued to shiver. She didn't want to think about that. She knew that answer. Nothing.

"He doesn't know does he?" He stuck out his arm and leaned against the wall, still trapping her. "About you, about what you do, about what you've done."

She continued to blubber. "H-he does and he loves me anyway!"

"And how long do you think that'll last?"

Audrey couldn't answer. She didn't have one.

"You're lucky I'm not bored with you yet. How long do you think until he is?"

He took her chin and forced her to look up at him. "You don't deserve that life. You don't even deserve a twerp like him. This is exactly where you belong and you know that."

He moved his hand from her chin down to her collar bone and ran it slowly down her figure, stopping as it reached the hem of her dress. She shuttered and wanted to cry.

"You're no ones wife. You're a whore."

He forced his lips against hers so hard that the back of her head hit the brick and made her dizzy.

"SEYM…"

"Shut up!" he grunted.

By her wrists, he pulled her forward and forced her against the wall. Her head impacted the brick first and then the concrete ground.

"This. This is you. And this is what's real."

This wasn't a dream. It couldn't be now. It was too real, too familiar. Too painful.

"Seymour," she moaned one last time. It came out like a croak.

He kneeled over her and clasped his hand over her mouth, forcing a silver vial in her nose. She felt the effects of the gas and her vision was obstructed by blotches of color. All her strength had left her body. He'd done this before. It was easier for him when she couldn't fight back.

She heard something. A quiet echo as if from very far away she heard her name.

"Audrey!"

She tried to move her head to see where it was coming from. She heard it again, closer this time. "Audrey!"

Behind his hand she tried to speak. "Seymo…"

"Audrey!"

She gasped as if surfacing from underwater and opened her eyes.

"Audrey you are okay!"

Seymour's emotion on his face mirrored her. He looked absolutely terrified as his wife called out his name in her sleep. She rolled her face into pillow to muffle her screams and crying.

"I'm so sorry," she bawled, gasping in between each word.

He rolled her onto her back and pulled her onto his lap. Holding her tightly he rocked her back and forth. He never asked what that dream was about. It wasn't the first. And it wasn't the last.

* * *

 **January 12 1965**

"Seymour?" Audrey whispered.

She had her back turned to him as she worked on the stove. Seymour sat at the table sketching out plans.

She swallowed hard. "Does it eva' b…" She stopped herself.

"What?"

She shook her head. "No. No it's gonna sound stupid."

He put down his pencil. "Audrey, please tell me."

She took a deep breath, then another. "Does it eva' bother you… that when we got married… I wasn't a virgin?"

Seymour was stunned. He immediately had an answer for this and only hesitated because he wasn't quite sure how to put it. He wanted her to know how certain he was.

"No. It never has. Why? Does it bother you that I was?"

She looked over her shoulder at him, smirked ever so slightly and shook her head.

"Exactly."

She turned back and continued to stir.

"Does it eva' bother you that I used to work at The Gutter?" she asked bluntly this time.

Seymour wondered where this was coming from. He thought she knew how he felt. But deep down Audrey wasn't quite sure how she felt about herself. She never had. She'd always felt tainted even when she had nothing to show for it.

"No Audrey. It doesn't."

She bit her lip.

"That's not who you are anyway. That doesn't define you. You're Audrey Krelborn."

She smiled.

The room was silent again, but only for another few moments.

"Does it eva' b…"

He rose from his spot before she could finish, crossed the room, and wrapped his arms around her.

"No. It doesn't."

* * *

 **January 20 1965**

Audrey's scars weren't only internal, but external as well. Besides the discoloration on her wrists as a reminder of a certain DDS and his handcuffs, she had others. On her inner forearm she had a round burn from the cigarette of another creep. On her outer right thigh was a faint straight line from when she had to receive stitches. And on her right elbow was a small dent from what she explained as from his keys.

They had become part of her and she never noticed them anymore, and neither did Seymour. It wasn't until one day that he did.

Audrey had got up before him and was walking about the room getting ready for the day. He was still in a state of sleepiness as he heard his wife moving about. Rolling over he grabbed his glasses off the bedside table and sat up. Audrey was across the room getting dressed and smiled over at him. It was then he made the connection.

Just on her abdomen were very faint scars that only appeared in some lighting. Not from any injury that had harmed her in any serious way physically, but one that definitely changed her. Several jagged horizontal lines from the piercing of giant teeth. She thought nothing of them at all. Seymour had seen them before but never made the connection. Her wrists, her arm, her thigh, her elbow, and now her abdomen. All scars left by creeps who had hurt her, and he had been one of them.

"Audrey," he began sobbing.

She abruptly crossed the room to his side.

"Audrey… I'm so so sorry."

* * *

 **January 29 1965**

The bell from the front door of the shop rang and Audrey looked up from the counter. Audrey looked him up and down. He looked to be in his mid teenage years. No younger than 15 but definitely not older than 18. He was blonde, rather short, and very lanky.

"Is the manager in?"

Audrey smiled slyly. "Yes, I am."

He clasped his hand over his mouth and his face grew flushed. "Oh… oh my goodness… I'm so sorry."

She shook her head and waved this off. She was used to it. "How can I help you."

His embarrassment and guilt had thrown him off and he tried to remember what to say. "I was coming looking for a job."

"Alright, what is your name?"

"Uhh Michael… ma'am."

She smiled. "My name's Audrey Krelborn."

He nodded. "Mrs. Krelborn," he corrected.

Audrey snorted. Partly because because being formally addressed as the shop's owner was a new odd sensation, and partly because she was still getting used to being called that.

"How old are you Michael?"

"16. I'm still in school but I could work after, and evenings, and weekends, and summers."

Audrey smiled again.

"Why here?"

He glanced around and wrang his hands. "I don't know. I just really like flowers."

"Do you have a favorite?" she asked, attempting to break the ice.

He bit his lip. "Well, everyone says roses, don't they?"

Audrey nodded.

"But honestly, I think maybe a Gardenia."

Audrey cocked her head. "I like them too. They symbolize purity, and refinement."

Michael's eyes grew. "They do?"

She nodded.

"Wow. A-and yours?"

She didn't hesitate. "Carnations first and foremost. They mean a whole lot of things. But also Daffodils. New beginnings."

He smiled. "I like that."

The bell on the door chimed and Audrey waved at her husband as he came back in.

"Do you have a resume?" she asked Michael.

Michael followed her gaze to Seymour for a moment before digging in his pocket. Typed up with a typewriter, he had put a good deal of effort into what little he had. Audrey smiled. It wasn't his appearance, but there was something about him. Something that she found so familiar and rather charming.

"Could you start today?"

A smile illuminated his face. "Yeah."

* * *

 **January 30 1965**

Seymour was in the back room of the shop when he heard a loud CRASH. Him and Audrey exchanged quick glances before Seymour rushed through the swinging door to the front of the shop. Michael was crouched on the floor. Shards of glass and rose petals were sprayed out on the floor around him. Very slowly he looked up at Seymour.

"Mr. Krelborn… I am so so sorry. I'll clean it up."

Seymour stood motionless for several moments processing this.

" _Krelborn! What did you break this time?!"_

" _Mr. Mushnik I am so so sorry. I'll clean it up."_

" _Jesus kid, and I thought you were useless as a child!"_

" _Yes sir."_

Hastily Seymour moved to grab a broom. Michael flinched as he came closer.

"Are you okay?" Seymour asked, crouching down to his level.

Michael moved his arms down from his face and looked at him. "Y-yes sir."

"Did it just slip?"

Michael bit his lip and lowered his eyes.

"It didn't cut you, did it?"

Michael held out his hands and examined them. He shook his head. Seymour breathed in relief.

"Here, let me help you."


	6. February 14 - March 1

_references my stories *It's Just The Gas and Little Stories In The Little Shop 8_

* * *

 ***February 14 1965**

Seymour returned home from the shop to find Audrey on the couch with the tv on, but in a deep sleep. At the foot of the couch sat a small cloud of used tissues, and on the coffee table sat a mug of half drunk tea and honey which was now cold. Removing his coat and shoes and unraveling his scarf she failed to even stir. Seymour moved forward and turned the knob on the tv to shut it off, and glanced back at her. Audrey was so incredibly pale, even more so than her hair. Seymour thought she looked like an angel aside from her nose now tinted red from irritation. Tucked under her arm as she slept was her stuffed cocker spaniel that Seymour had given her last valentines day.

"Audrey?" he said, getting down on his knees in front of the couch.

She made a noise and opened her eyes, smiled at him, and closed them again.

"Audrey are you feeling better?"

Eyes still shut she shook her head.

"Do you want some more tea or maybe dinner?"

She stirred slightly and let out a small moan that sounded like, "no."

"Would you like to just go to bed?"

She nodded but otherwise didn't move. She looked to be asleep again but he could tell she wasn't by her soft slow humming.

"Audrey?" Seymour said, prodding her shoulder.

Leaning forward he took both her arms, wrapped them around his neck and lifted her into his arms. She smiled and lay her head on his shoulder but kept her eyes closed. As he carried her, her humming was replaced by singing.

" _I'm his December bride_

 _He's father, he knows best_

 _Our kids play Howdy Doody_

 _as the sun sets in the west_

 _A picture outta Better Homes And Gardens magazine..."_

Holding Audrey tight with one arm, he reached forward and pulled back the covers with the other. Gently he lay her down. Her arms didn't move as she kept a hold on him, and he had to duck to get out. She kept her arms extended, reaching for him, and he took one in his own.

" _... far from Skid Row I dream we'll go somewhere that's green."_

Seymour had heard her humming this tune before in the past, and sometimes would catch bits and pieces of the words. They made his heart flutter.

"Audrey?"

"Hmm?"

He knelt down in front of her and she opened her eyes.

"We did. We did go somewhere that's green."

Audrey smiled. "We did, didn't we?"

Seymour nodded. "You don't have to dream it any more."

She adjusted to make herself more comfortable. In doing so she stuck her arm off the bed and touched his cheek with the tip of her fingers. Before falling asleep again she moaned softly and barely audible at all, "You _are_ my dream, Seymour."

* * *

 **February 20 1965**

"Audrey?"

She had both her elbows propped on the backroom table and her face resting in her hands.

"What's the matter?"

She took a breath and looked up. He was relieved to see that she wasn't crying, not yet anyway. She looked stressed.

"It's not turning out," she said, irritated but not directing it toward him.

"What isn't?"

She motioned over dramatically to the table in front of her.

"The flowa's. The roses are all wrong. I must'a orda'd the wrong kind. These aren't right at all. They aren't plump and the color is off. It's ruining the entire bouquet."

Seymour looked down at the table and picked up several roses to examine.

"Are you sure? I think they look fine."

He glanced up. Audrey was chewing on her nails. She never chewed on her nails.

"Audrey?"

She shook her head and dropped her face back in her hands.

"Audrey I think you are over stressed out about this. It's not really a problem."

She exhaled sharply but said nothing.

"Here, I'll handle this. Why don't you take a break and clear your head."

She glanced up at him for several long moments before nodding very meekly.

"Okay," she whispered, "thank you."

She pushed the table to scoot her chair out, but in doing so rocked it enough to knock down a vase full of water. It flooded the table, soaking the order forms and bathing the roses. Seymour moved swiftly to rescue the paper, holding it at an angle to drip.

"Oh no!" She covered her face again and began to blubber. "Look what I've done!"

"Audrey!"

He put the paper on another counter and moved toward her. She was sobbing by then. She wrapped her arms around him and rested her face on his shoulder, soaking it with tears. What was wrong with her? She was never this moody before.

* * *

 **February 28 1965**

"Are you ready?" Seymour asked.

Audrey hesitated and took a deep breath before smiling at him.

"You know I'd never take you if I didn't think you'd be safe."

She swiftly shook her head. "No no no I know. I have faith in you."

Seymour moved forward and ran his hand up and down her arm to comfort her. "It's nothing. I promise. Nothing at all."

"This isn't nothing. This is something. And I'm really proud of you."

Seymour smiled sheepishly. "You'll try next. I'm sure."

She looked sarcastic. "We'll see."

"I guess people here do this kind of thing all the time."

"Did you eva' think you would?"

Seymour thought before replying. "No I don't think I ever did."

She shook her head. "Me neitha'." She smiled. "We should make a list of things we never expected. Because we've done a bunch of 'em by now."

Seymour smiled.

Audrey counted on her fingers. "Leaving Skid Row."

"Getting married," He added.

Audrey beamed. "The house, the shop…"

Seymour motioned his hand outward. "Now this."

Audrey took a step toward him and placed her hand on his back.

"We're full of surprises. What's next I wonda'."

"We still have to finish this one. Still ready?"

She nodded without hesitation this time.

He took her hand and walked her to the car and opened the passenger door for her. Climbing in he shut the door behind her and ran over to his side. By the time he climbed in she had already fastened her seatbelt. He gripped his as well.

"Here we go."

* * *

 **March 1 1965**

Seymour stepped into the kitchen just as Audrey angled her pan and scraped the eggs onto a plate. He smiled at her as she hummed a tune.

"What's this for?" he asked.

She shrugged. "Just felt like eggs today. Is it bad?"

He hugged her from behind and kissed her cheek.

"Why would it be bad?"

She blushed and shrugged out of the hug, handing him his plate.

"What's on the agenda for today?" She asked, stirring her eggs with her fork.

"After the delivery to St. Andrew's home we are wide open."

"I haven't finished yet. I will when we get to the shop." She looked up at him abruptly. "I'm sorry."

He didn't understand why she always felt the need to apologize.

"It'll be easy. You do funeral arrangements in your sleep."

She blushed. "They're the easiest. I remember when I first started working for Mushnik he taught me that…"

She trailed off. Slowly she put down her fork and brought her hand to her mouth.

"What's wrong?"

She looked back up and shook her head. "Nothing. Nothing I'm fine."

Audrey manufactured a smile. Reaching over she grabbed her glass of orange juice. The cup hadn't reached her lips before she brought her hand to her mouth again and bolted from the room.


	7. March 15-17

**March 15 1965**

Seymour had learned that in order for Audrey to want to see a doctor she had to be really really sick. He understood her reasons, she was scared, but he was very troubled by this. Mood swings never quite moved on and nausea had set in. In mid March when it became impossible to ignore, she promised Seymour she would go, so long as he would promise to come with her.

Before undergoing recent events, Seymour had no trouble with blood. Pricking his finger on a thorn or cleaning up shards of glass, he'd bandage himself up no problem. But by the wave of an ax he had now seen more than he had ever cared to. Just the thought of it alone made him sick. Sitting in the doctor's office he swore he could smell it somewhere in the building.

"Mrs. Krelborn, can you tell me your symptoms." The doctor asked, with a phoney smile.

She toyed with her pinky nail as she spoke.

"As of late I haven't been eating well. Nauseas been a problem. And I'm not sleeping very much. And, well, I guess I've been a little moody lately."

"When would you say all this began?"

Audrey looked at the ceiling as she thought back. "Maybe two months now."

The doctor wrote this down and smiled knowingly.

"I'd like to ask you some questions alone."

She gripped Seymour's arm tightly in protest.

"Just… out in the hall would be fine, Mr. Krelborn." He motioned with his pen.

He paused and waited for Seymour. He took the hint and gave Audrey a squeeze on her hand and an encouraging smile before walking into the hall. Through a long and short wired window he was able to peek through. The doctor was talking to Audrey. She started speaking and counting something on her fingers as the doctor was writing fiercely. The doctor asked something else and motioned his hand forward for emphasis. Audrey blushed and her eyes grew wide before falling down to the hands in her lap. She adjusted her wedding ring and nodded. The doctor asked another question and she turned her head. Seeing Seymour eavesdropping she smiled and motioned for him to come back in.

"...and bloodwork. It's customary."

Audrey bit her lip and nodded. "Sure."

The doctor took his clipboard and fled the room, only to be quickly replaced by a nurse with a tray of equipment. Sighing, Audrey began to roll up her sleeve. Seymour already felt as if he were going to be sick. He refused to leave her and closed his eyes. Audrey took her free hand and rubbed his back before taking his own hand. After a moment she squeezed tight and sucked in air through her teeth. Seymour noticed that Audrey had started humming something. Her song about green.

She loosened her grip and the nurse left with a vial.

"Are you okay?" she asked him, pressing a cotton ball on the back of her elbow and closing her arm.

Seymour smiled at her. "You were humming."

She smiled. "I do that. When I'm hurting or something unpleasant is happening I hum and think of something else."

"What do you think of?" Seymour wondered.

"I used to fantasize a lot. I thought of you almost every time. And lots of green."

He blushed. "You do this often?"

She shook her head. "Not so much anymore. I used to."

Her eyes fell down. She didn't intentionally tell him when but rubbed the discolored scar on her wrist with her thumb. The scars of her last relationship. Seymour didn't want to ask more.

* * *

 **March 17 1965**

The phone rang a loud clatter causing them both to jump. Audrey was the first to move. Having been washing dishes she handed a plate for Seymour to dry, pulled her hands out of the soapy water and wiped them on her skirt.

"Hello?" Seymour heard her answer. There was a pause. "This is she… Oh hi Dr. Foster."

Seymour stopped and looked over his shoulder at her. Audrey was leaning against the wall, holding the phone in one hand and nervously twirling the cord with the other.

"You do? Well what is it?"

She smiled over at him. Seymour heard the quiet buzz of Dr. Foster speaking on the other end and watched Audrey's expression slowly change into one of complete astonishment.

"Really?" she breathed.

The phone fell from her grip and swung by its cord.

"Audrey?"

She moved her hand to her abdomen.

"Seymour…"


	8. March 21-31

**PART TWO:**

 **SPRING**

 **March 21 1965**

Audrey stirred up the covers and swung her legs off the side of the bed, sitting up. She was breathing heavily.

"Audrey are you okay?" Seymour asked alarmed.

The back of her head nodded yes. She pulled herself off the bed and began to exit, slowly at first before she clasped her hand over her mouth and sprinted out of the room. She'd been sick a great deal in the mornings lately, and now they knew why.

Seymour lay back on his pillow and stared and the ceiling, listening to his wife whimper from the bathroom.

 _You did this,_ he thought to himself. _You did this. You idiot, how could you hurt her like this? This is all your fault._

Seymour couldn't help but blame himself.

 _This is all because of you. She's sick and hurting because of you._

He rolled onto his side and squeezed his eyes shut, pressing the heel of his hand on his temple.

 _And if she dies because of this, it'll be your fault. You'll have killed her too._

Audrey paced back into the room by the dim light from behind the blinds. It was still too early to get up. She pulled back the covers and sat back down.

"Sweetheart," she gasped, seeing Seymour's face, "are you alright? You look as if you're gonna be sick!"

This was laughable. She moved the back of her hand to his forehead to check his temperature. He took it off and held it in his own.

"I'm alright. How are you?"

Audrey lay down and pulled the sheet over herself. She located his arm and wrapped it around her so she lay snuggled up beside him.

"I'm okay. Just remind me not to feed our baby any carrots. That's the second time so I don't think they like them."

Seymour smiled in spite of himself. Audrey could always make him smile.

* * *

 **March 26 1965**

Besides their track record with medical professionals in the past, neither of them had any reason to be as nervous as they were. Audrey had been referred to an obgyn and today was her first appointment. She didn't need to ask Seymour to come, he knew she'd need him there. This office was quite different than one of Orin Scrivello DDS. The walls were beige with floral print wallpaper. There were windows shining in natural light as opposed to harsh blue lamps. On the wall hung either photographs of women with babies, or medical diagrams.

Audrey had changed into a soft pink exam gown with purple and white dots given to her by the nurse. She sat on the clean white paper on the exam table which crinkled when she shifted. Her hands were in her lap and she was fidgeting with them as always. She swore she heard a baby crying somewhere off in the building and couldn't help but feel a small surge of joy.

Seymour moved about the office nervously fidgeting. Things had been left out in the open like glass jars of cotton balls and tongue depressors. He lifted each lid before carefully lowering it back down.

"Have you been to the doctor much before?" Audrey asked out of curiosity.

He put the jar back down with a small clink and turned to her. "Umm not really. We had a doctor come to the home sometimes. One year a bunch of us got the measles and I apparently was really sick as an infant."

She looked upon him sadly and cocked her head. "You were?"

He nodded.

She looked down at her hands, suddenly very worried.

"I did go to the doctor when I was 16," he continued, seeing her worry and trying to distract her.

She glanced up.

"I had the flu for three weeks. Mr. Mushnik said he was sure I was gonna die."

Audrey exhaled a small laugh. "Oh gee, really?"

Seymour shrugged.

"Was he compassionate at least?"

Seymour looked away suddenly, unintentionally answering the question.

The door opened and Audrey abruptly sat up straight. She breathed a sudden sigh of relief as the doctor stepped in the room and she realized he looked nothing like Orin. He appeared startled to see Seymour.

"Oh sir, you don't have to be here. Most of our fathers don't come to appointments. It's not necessary. If you would like…"

Audrey made a noise of alarm and reached her arms out to him. Seymour could tell from her eyes how absolutely terrified she was at the thought of being left alone with a doctor.

"I'd like to stay sir. If that's alright."

He glanced from Seymour to Audrey and back and sighed in acceptance. He extended his hand to Seymour and shook it.

"Well I'm Doctor Wilkof. It is nice to meet you both."

He glanced down at his clipboard.

"Audrey... Krelborn. Congratulations."

She smiled. Dr. Wilkof sat himself down on the stool next to the exam table and continued to read his clipboard.

"This is your first child?"

Audrey nodded.

"Well congratulations to you both. If we could estimate we would say you are about 10 weeks along. So we are well into the first trimester."

Audrey nodded again. That sounded right.

"Since you are a new patient, we're going to need some family history for your file."

She glanced over at Seymour and began to nervously bite her lip. He tried to give her an encouraging smile.

The doctor glanced down at his clipboard.

"Is there any history of heart disease on either side of your family?"

Audrey took several long moments to reply. "Yes sir," she murmured.

The doctor looked up from his clipboard and waited for her to elaborate.

"On my motha's side. She passed away about two years ago."

His pen scribbled.

"And what about your father's side?"

Audrey's hands dropped into her lap. Seymour watched helplessly as her face fell and she tucked her chin in the collar of her gown.

"I don't know."

She turned her face away and scrunched it up as if she were in pain. The doctor didn't notice until she let out a small whimper. Seymour abruptly rose from his stool, nearly knocking it over.

"Hormones," the doctor gently explained to him.

Seymour scowled at him and shook his head no. Poor Audrey was trying so hard to hold it in. Tears began to cascade down her cheeks and she swiftly moved her hand to wipe them away unnoticed.

"Could we have a minute?" Seymour asked.

The doctor glanced at both of them before tucking his clipboard under his arm and heading out the door. Seymour moved forward and put his hands on her arms.

"Audrey, are you okay?"

Tears continued to stream down her face as she stretched her mouth into an artificial smile.

"Yeah. Yeah I'm fine. Just bein' silly s'all."

She took several deep breaths before she blubbered and broke down again. With both hands she gripped her abdomen.

"Audrey?!"

"I'm sorry Seymour. I'm just so sorry."

"For what?"

She wiped the back of her hand on her face.

"I'm bein' selfish. I shouldn't be crying. It's not fair'a me. I got to grow up with my motha', and you've never met yours."

Seymour's jaw dropped. Audrey's did as well, and she brought both hands to her face.

"Oh Seymour," she muttered behind her hands, "I'm so so sorry. Why would I say that? I'm so sorry."

He took one of her hands in his. He understood she wasn't in her right mind and wasn't saying any of this intentionally to hurt him.

"Please don't cry, Audrey. It's alright."

She took several gasping sobs then let out an uneasy laugh.

"Some dad's we've got though, right?"

"Audrey?"

"Why didn't he want me?"

She looked at Seymour intently as if she expected him to answer. He didn't have one and chewed on the inside of his mouth in stress.

"I know it's my fault," she whispered mostly to herself.

"Audrey please don't talk like that. That isn't true."

Audrey spoke calmly, as if she were tired of crying.

"It's my fault. Daddy left because of me. Mama had to work because of that, and all I did was bother her. If it wasn't for me she would…"

"Audrey."

She looked over at him. His face was flustered.

"None of that is true. You can't blame yourself for anything that happened. You weren't responsible."

She noticed him bite his lip and look as if he were about to cry himself.

"You weren't eitha' Seymour," she added abruptly.

He continued to chew on his lip for another moment before giving a short smile of appreciation.

"Your ma woulda' loved you," she whispered.

He moved a hand to her cheek and pushed away the hair that had stuck to her tears, and held her face.

"Audrey…" Seymour choked, "I know it was tough for you, growing up. I know for the past few years you've felt alone. And I know you haven't ever exactly had a family. But _I'm_ your family now. You aren't alone anymore."

She smiled through her tears and he kissed her forehead.

"We are a family," she repeated. She reached forward and cupped his cheek. "Both of us."

Audrey giggled and rested her hand on her stomach. "All three of us."

* * *

 **March 31 1965**

"At least they ordered ahead of time," Audrey sighed looking at the order for high school spring formal corsages. "Remember before when an orda' was last minute and Mushnik didn't have any of the proper flowa's? Those poor kids all got brown roses."

"But if anyone made them beautiful you did."

She smirked and put down the order form. "I'll make a list of what we'll need extra for the inventory."

"Do you want me to?"

She shook her head. "No. I got it."

Seymour sighed, "Just… just let me know if there's anything I can do to help you."

In truth Seymour had nothing to worry about. She was working fine at least for now. But it was in his nature to worry about her. She sat herself down at the backroom table which she used almost as her desk for building.

"I will, Sweetheart. Don't worry."

He paced out of the room, kissing her cheek on the way out.

Audrey found herself in an array of pink roses as she built a baby bouquet. The family had insisted on all pink, being that they had a girl. As much as Audrey loved pink she knew there were other colors. She thought to herself the colors she'd use if she had a girl. Her and Seymour had yet to decorate the spare bedroom. Wallpaper would be nice. But what color? Would a floral pattern be overdoing it? They could still do pink for a boy. Nobody said they couldn't. But then again there was something magical about green.

"Michael! I can't find the ribbon, do you see it up front?!" she called through the closed backroom door.

He appeared a moment later holding several rolls, and placed them on the table.

"Oh! thank you," she expressed.

She fished for the roll of pink ribbon on the table and cut an arms length strip with her shears. Michael stood beside her, nervously drumming his fingers on the table.

"What is it?" she asked.

He was brought back to reality. "Nothing. I just like seeing you work. You're really good at it."

She smiled. "Thank you. I've been doing it a while."

She turned back to her bouquet and he returned to drumming.

"You have?"

Audrey nodded, reaching for the glue. "I started back in the city in a little shop, where Seymour and I met."

Michael smiled. "You met in a shop?"

Audrey nodded again. He was silent for another few moments as he watched her continue her bouquet.

"What brought you both here? If you don't mind me asking."

Audrey paused her movements and tried to think of a lie believable. There were a million reasons. The smell, the air, the bums, the food, the dentists. She could have explained to him Skid Row in detail but decided not to. And she didn't bring up the reasons behind their funds to leave. She never would. The past was the past.

"It's greener here," she said finally with a smile.

Michael smiled and exhaled a small laugh.

She continued to build her bouquet as she spoke. Michael traced his finger along the table, along the roll of blue ribbon and then pink ribbon.

"Another baby bouquet?"

Audrey nodded.

He was silent for a minute as he chewed on his lip.

"Do you think you and Mr. Krelborn might ever…" He stopped. "I'm so sorry. That was so rude. I…"

"Octoba'," Audrey interrupted with a smile.

He creased his brow as he tried to figure out what she meant, before his face enlightened with a smile.

"Really?!" He gasped.


	9. April 4

_**Author's note:** This is the chapter that was the game changer. I wrote this on it's own some time ago and it inspired me to write the rest of the story. So if you like this story, thank this chapter. And if you don't, well hey you probably didn't make it this far anyway._

 _This chapter will seem kind of out of left field if you haven't read my previous works. A while back I wrote a story called "A Child Of The Street" about Seymour's mother and this was going to be alongside a sequel for that. Which is why it would have made more sense if you'd have read that one first. Sorry about that. Expect more ties to that story and this one, so if you'd like to read the other it would be a good idea to (it's also my proudest work)._

 _*references my stories A Child Of The Street, Mushnik and Son, Ya Never Know, and Far From Skid Row_

* * *

 ***April 4 1965**

"Seymour?"

For some reason she couldn't understand Seymour had disappeared after returning home. She checked the bedroom and was about to move on when she saw his silhouette in the dark. He was sitting up with his legs hanging off the bed and his hands in his lap. She felt the wall for the switch but stopped when she heard him sniffle.

"Seymour!"

She felt through the dark to the bed and grabbed his hands.

"Seymour what's the matta'?"

After several moments he looked up.

"Audrey I'm really scared."

She could tell by his uneven voice that he was crying. She saw shimmers of tears on his cheeks from the dim light of the lamp down the hall.

"Scared of what, sweetheart?"

He let out a sob and she moved one of her hands to his face, moving to sit beside him on the bed.

"It's just so real now. Six more months. And I'm really scared."

Audrey understood and made a gentle coo.

"Oh Sweetheart. Don't be scared. You'll be an amazing fatha'. I just know it. You'll teach our baby about plants…"

He shook his head and she stopped. " 's not it," he blubbered.

She ran her other hand through his hair before settling it on his cheek.

"Then what?"

He placed one of his hands atop of hers.

"I need you Audrey. And I'm scared I'm gonna lose you too."

She didn't quite understand what he meant at first, but then she remembered the reason Seymour had grown up alone was that his mother wasn't strong enough. Audrey made the connection and threw her arms around his neck.

"Oh Sweetheart! You aren't gonna lose me!" She proclaimed. "That was different! I'm gonna stay right here! Nothin's gonna happen."

He sobbed into her shoulder. She ran her hand up and down his back and he hugged her tightly as if she'd disappear then and there. Audrey had seen Seymour cry before, even in great amounts, but never like this.

"This is now," she stated. "Medicine has improved and I'll be in a hospital, with you right beside me the whole time. Nothings gonna happen to me. I promise."

He pulled his head off her shoulder enough to see the outline of her face.

"How can you be so sure?"

She brought both her hands to his face and wiped away his tears with her thumbs.

"Because afta' what we've been through this is nothing."

Audrey pulled her legs onto the bed and tugged on him to lay down beside her. She draped her arms around his shoulders and held him close as they lay together.

"I can't imagine what it must'a been like for you," she whispered, "but that isn't going to happen again."

Audrey took his hand and rested it on her abdomen, placing her own hand on top.

"We'll both be fine. I promise."

Seymour was silent.

"Do you still think about her?"

After a moment he nodded.

"I didn't get to know her," she heard Seymour whisper. "We've looked up all we probably can and we still don't know anything about her. Not really."

She could feel his crying begin to build and shushed him and passed a hand through his hair. Audrey knew this was something Seymour had never gotten over, and would probably always be haunting him.

"Once upon a time there was a beautiful young girl named Alana Floretta Krelborn," Audrey started. "She didn't have a family so to speak. Her father had died and her mother had run off when she was very young."

Seymour stopped crying. He knew this story well, and the hairy details troubled him, but Audrey's calm voice was helping.

"But then she discovered she did have a family. A beautiful son she was expecting. She couldn'ta been happia'. But someone else wasn't, and they tried to stop her. Too bad for them Alana was much stronga' than they thought."

Seymour smiled.

"She knew she wasn't going to last long, so she took her son to a place she knew they'd keep him safe and take good care'a him."

She felt Seymour tense and increased her hold on him.

"She's in heaven, even now. And she still loves him with all her heart. And if I were her I'd be very proud of what he's accomplished."

Seymour lifted his head and looked at Audrey. She was smiling. She moved her hand to his chin and pulled him in for a soft kiss. His face was still wet but at the moment no more tears were coming. Seymour lay his head down on the pillow adjacent to Audrey's. He could just make out the outline of her face in the dim lighting. He wasn't expecting her to continue but she did.

"Years went by and he grew up. He learned about plants and became the smartest person I know."

Seymour exhaled a small laugh. The first one since they had started talking.

"One day he left that home for a short while and found a little shop. The one speck of green in the entire city. He broke a vase that couldn'ta cost more than a dolla' fifty, but he did such a good job cleaning it up that he got a job. He worked alongside the plants and green he so very much loved in the little shop."

She paused and took a breath, biting her lip briefly.

"Years after working, someone else came to work alongside him. Someone very lost in her way." Audrey was quiet for a beat before she giggled. "And she ALSO broke a vase."

Seymour smiled at the memory. "Audrey, _I_ broke that vase."

She playfully put her finger to her lips and smiled.

Audrey rolled into Seymour and this time he put his arms around her. She lay her head against his chest.

"She had been searching for her Prince Charming, so long in fact that she thought she neva' would find him. But there he was, working in that little shop just across the street. It was like a miracle. The best friend she had eva' had. But the real miracle, and the thing that still amazes her…"

Her voice gave way at the end as if she were about to cry. Seymour looked at her alarmed. She wasn't crying but blinking furiously. He pushed the hair out of her face and settled his hand on her cheek. She put hers on top and gripped tight.

"...Was that he loved her back."

He pressed his forehead against hers.

"Sweet and good and beautiful as she is," he added.

Audrey giggled. She knew she'd either laugh or cry and she wasn't sad.

"What happened next?" he asked.

Audrey responded without hesitation. "There was an evil dragon."

Seymour snorted.

"An evil dragon that took over the little shop, turning it into a little shop of horrors. And one night it tried to take the girl away, but the boy, her Prince Charming, was too strong. He saved her when she was so sure it was the end and that she'd neva' see his smile again. Nothing was broken aside from her gown. Anotha' miracle. Had it just been a couple seconds longa' things would'a been much different."

Seymour sighed and tried not to think what would have happened. He'd had that nightmare enough. There was something about Audrey's calming voice that was so hypnotic. He lay his head back on the pillow and closed his eyes.

"And Prince Charming was offered the chance at a fortune if he let the dragon go free. But he was true of heart and he turned it down. He went back into that shop and against all odds he slayed that dragon."

She was holding him close and passing a hand through his hair.

"Prince Charming and the girl left that very night on the train to somewhere they'd always wanted to go."

He felt her breathing beside him. Up and down.

"Somewhere that's green," he exhaled.

Audrey bent her head and kissed his forehead. His tears had exhausted him and sleep was coming quickly.

"Did they live happily ever after?" he asked.

He couldn't tell if his wife's humming was real or in his dream, but he swore he heard her sweet voice singing:

 _The clouds are parted now_

 _The sun shines bright as dawn_

 _What used to wilt in coffee pots_

 _Now blooms out on our lawn_

 _There's a baby in my belly_

 _The size of a tangerine_

 _Far from Skid Row_

 _I knew we'd go_

 _Somewhere that's green_


	10. April 7-25

**_Author's note:_** _here's where my story gets a little odd. Because this originally started as a sequel to "A Child Of The Street" there will be many ties to that to finish the story it had to tell._

 _Also, my updates may come slow but that isn't because I forgot or am avoiding it. I would just rather take longer to give you guys a chapter so I can do it right than to spit something out just to keep going._

 _*references my story A Child Of The Street_

* * *

 ***April 7 1965**

 _Dear Mr. Stanley,_

 _I'm not sure if you remember me, sir. My name is Seymour Krelborn. I was born and grew up in The Skid Row Home for boys and you were once a guardian of mine. I lived there until I was 11 when I went to work in Mushnik's Flower Shop. Much has changed since then. I have gotten married and after some events that happened last year my wife and I have left Skid Row._

 _The reason I am writing to you, sir, is I am wondering if you have any information about my mother. Her name was Alana Krelborn, and I recall you once telling me you knew her. I know you told me some information while I lived there but I am wondering if that's all there really is to know. In the past my wife and I looked into city records and state archives to see if we could find anything about her but there wasn't very much. If you have any information, any at all, I would really like to hear._

 _After all these years I don't know if you still work in the home or even reside in Skid Row, and I know it's possible this letter may never reach you, but I figured I'd try._

 _Sincerely, Seymour Krelborn_

* * *

 **April 13 1965**

The sound of rain masked the radio static as Audrey tried to find a station. It pelted hard on the roof of their car. Compared to the city, this rain wasn't so bad. Sure it rained there too, but there wasn't anything special about it. Just cold and grey. At least this rain would bring green with it.

She mumbled a song under her breath until she found one, and perked up with a satisfied smile.

"I like The Ronettes," she explained.

Seymour slowed the car as they reached a stop sign. Glancing both ways he saw something. The silhouette of a cat sat proudly in the front window of the house next to them. Seymour had never had a pet before.

Back on Skid Row there were stray dogs and cats but you often wanted to stay clear. Sometimes Seymour couldn't help himself and fed scraps when he came across them. The closest he had ever had to a pet was a calico cat that would reside near The Home. This went on for some time, until one day he went out to find its head bashed in on the sidewalk. It was the end of that. He sometimes noticed a black cat scampering around Mushnik's. Now they had an entire house and a yard for a pet to run around if it wanted to. And their children wouldn't have to feed them scraps.

Seymour grew cold. He suddenly thought of Skid Row and of their baby. They'd never have to live like that. He'd make sure of that. So long as he lived his children would never have to sleep under a counter, or beg for a plate of dinner, or wear broken glasses. They wouldn't have his life.

"Are you okay?" Audrey asked, putting her hand on his on the steering wheel.

He glanced sideways at her. "I was just thinking that we should someday get a pet."

Audrey smiled. "I'd love too."

She pulled back her hand and relaxed in her seat, with her hands in her lap and stroking her abdomen with her thumb.

"I've neva' had a pet before."

Seymour glanced at her but she wasn't looking at him. She was looking out the passenger window as the rain trailed down like tears.

Audrey. Lovely Audrey. She would never have that life again either. She was safe here. He wouldn't let anyone hurt her again. She wouldn't have to worry about money or where she would spend the night. This was her home now. Seymour would make sure she'd never have to go back.

"I always wanted a dog," she thought out loud. She turned to him and smiled. "I neva' could have one because my motha' and I always lived in an apartment and they didn't allow it."

Seymour nodded.

"I rememba' our neighbor had one that they snuck in." She smiled at the memory. "They'd let me pet it sometimes."

"A scottish terrier?" He asked.

Audrey looked startled but only for a moment. She put her hand on her mouth to hide her embarrassed smile. "Have I told you this before?"

He shrugged. "Once, a long time ago, back on Skid Row."

She exhaled in shock. "And... you remembered what I said?"

He looked at her. "Of course."

She used both hands to cover her smile, but this time it wasn't from embarrassment. It was joy.

* * *

 **April 21 1965**

Back on Skid Row, one of the things that was most appealing about escaping to the suburbs was all the green. Green grass, green leaves, green trees. And that first springtime was no disappointment. As soon as the snow melted and the rain came it revealed the hue that Audrey had been dreaming of. And not just the grass but the garden too. The two of them planted a cascade of rainbows that first springtime, bringing every other color possible into their yard. They didn't have to rely on coffee tins. Instead of the light from a small underground window, they had the sun. Instead of a drink from the faucet or the leaky roof, they had the rain. Their garden continued to grow, and so did the baby in Audrey's belly.

* * *

 **April 25 1965**

Nightmares were common in their household, and came nearly every night. They were almost expected. Sometimes even reoccurring. Seymour had two that night. He had never had this combination.

At first he couldn't tell if this was a dream or not. It was so familiar, as if no time had passed at all.

Even without looking around Seymour knew where he was. The stench was strong. Seymour opened his eyes and saw his old streets. The sun was high casting a blaze of heat down on his face, but the rest of him felt cold. Something was wrong. He knew it.

Very faintly off in the distance Seymour thought he heard something, or someone. He cast a glance around but wasn't able to place it. He heard it again.

"Docta'!" he heard.

Seymour turned in the direction it was coming from, and started down the sidewalk.

"Docta' please! I'm sorry!"

A sound followed similar to a strike and a screech. He started running.

"Just shut up!"

"Yes Docta'."

Turning a corner into an alley, Seymour saw them. By her wrist, Audrey was pinned against the brick wall. His other hand was around her neck. He wasn't choking her, but it rest there as a reminder that he could. All of her body was restrained against the wall, as he pushed up against her and kissed her. She was squirming beneath him like an bug. Seymour saw her black makeup running down her face as if she had been crying, though it blended in with her bruises. Orin pulled away for a moment.

"Audrey!"

She abruptly turned her head in Seymour's direction as if she had heard him. But she wasn't looking at him. Her eyes went right through him as if he were invisible. Orin took her face in his hand and turned her back toward him.

"Audrey!" He tried to run, to fight, to even scream for help, but he couldn't. Seymour couldn't move. He was frozen like stone.

Beneath his lips Audrey began to whimper, causing Orin to abruptly pull away. She kept crying.

"Shut up!"

By her wrists, Orin pulled her forward and slammed her against the wall. Her head impacted like a bowling ball being dropped. Seymour felt the blow too. He let go of her wrists and she fell down to the ground like a puppet whose strings had been cut.

The second dream started different. He was still on Skid Row but now he was behind the shop. He felt the chill of the fall air on his skin. And red. Everything was red. He could tell what was obstructing his vision; his hands were wet with it. Seymour took off his glasses and wiped them on his shirt before he put them back on. He knew exactly where he was and was was going on.

By the quick flash of lightning the back alley was illuminated. Orin was there, or pieces of him. He was turned in Seymour's direction and his eyes were open, staring right at him. Seymour felt the weight of the ax in his hand.

Above the sound of the thunder, Seymour heard a scream. It was one he knew well. Abruptly he stood up. The alley was illuminated by lightning again and Seymour saw her. Audrey was standing there staring at him. Her hands were at her cheeks and she was shrieking. Seymour dropped the ax and took a step away from the body. This time it was Audrey watching from the alleyway, and Seymour was the one doing damage to another. He was no better than him. Audrey continued shrieking, and she didn't stop until he woke up.

* * *

One thing that took Seymour a long time to learn was that to Audrey he wasn't a burden. It was all he had been taught his entire life. And that his feelings were simply a nuisance to others. She wasn't like that. She cared and would want to help.

Audrey sat across from him at the breakfast table. Her hand was at her mouth and eyes filled with sadness as he explained to her what he had seen.

"But I couldn't move," he stated. "And I just stood there, watching it all happen. I couldn't help you."

Her eyes fell down to the table.

"I've… I've had that one before."

Seymour was silent.

"Where he's hurting me. And I can hear you or see you, but we can't change what's happening."

Seymour brought his hand to his face in stress.

"Oh Audrey, I'm so so sorry."

Audrey smiled. Of course Seymour would apologize for something he did in her subconscious. She reached out and took his free hand in her own. Seymour looked down at their entwined hands and touched her ring of scars with his thumb.

"It's in the past." She squeezed his hand and pulled it away. Audrey cupped her wrist with her hand and bit her lip before putting her hands out of sight in her lap.

"Is that what you've been having nightmares about?"

He was consistently shaking her awake in the night but hadn't made the connection until now. He had assumed it was being in the jaws of the plant that were causing them, like his.

"No. Just, ya know, sometimes," she lied.

Seymour saw through this but said nothing. She didn't want to discuss it and nothing good would come from pushing her to. Maybe there was some truth to these dreams. They were both stuck then and now.

"I'm sorry."

"Seymour, you need to stop saying that."

He creased his brow and glanced down at the table, catching himself before he said it again. Just then the toast popped up causing them both to jump. Audrey snickered at their reaction and got up to retrieved it, handing a piece off to Seymour.

She read his expression. "Will you be okay?"

Seymour gazed up at her and then back down at the table. "Yeah, just… what about the other one?"

Audrey looked him in the face and spoke in a very low voice. "Seymour… do you think that I think you're a monsta'?"

He didn't answer her.

"Because I don't," she added, leaning against the table to be closer. "I think you are the most gentle man I have eva' met."

A smile twitched at the corner of his lip for just a moment and it was gone. He still wasn't looking at her. "That doesn't change things."

She abruptly took hold of his arm with both her hands and he glanced back startled.

"Seymour, that wasn't you. You didn't do it. You didn't shoot him and I don't think you woulda'. And if the knob fell off when he was that far gone there was no saving him even if you ripped the mask off. He was always using that gas, and it finally caught up to him. It's just the gas."

She swallowed. "And as for… you weren't in your right mind. It made things happen, terrible things. Do you really think you could chop up a person before? Or even now?"

He considered this and shook his head as little as possible.

"Of course not." She let go of his arm and pulled back.

Audrey looked down at her toast and began to spread butter. He watched her do this but didn't move or touch his own.

"I should'a gotten rid of it," he whispered, barely making a sound at all. She glanced back up at him. "I didn't mean to hurt _him_. He did nothing wrong."

Audrey shook her head. "You didn't mean to hurt him. Why would you? Even unintentionally. He was letting you go, but that monsta' wasn't."

"Yeah, but I should have gotten rid of it."

"Do you really think he would'a let you?" She put down her knife and reached for his hand again. "Seymour, Mista' Mushnik loved that plant more than you did. He wouldn't have gotten rid of it if it meant sales would drop a penny."

He was taken back, also never quite having considered this.

"I… I sometimes wonder what would have happened," he started.

She looked up from her toast and waited for him to finish.

"Had I been able to take his offer, and left that night."

Audrey's eyes filled with sadness and she shook her head. "Nothing good."

She sighed and glanced down at the table. She stared down into her glass of orange juice and ran her finger around the rim. "Bigga' than hula hoops," she murmured to herself.

Seymour tried to hide his shutter.

"I just don't see him turning down that kind'a offer." She glanced up at him. "But you didn't care about that. You didn't care about the money. You neva' did, did you?"

He shook his head without hesitation. He didn't mean to hurt anybody. He never wanted to. He just wanted her to be safe. Even if it meant she still wasn't with him, as long as she was safe.

"And you said no. You turned it down, and destroyed it." She was smiling so warmly at him.

Seymour studied her face. Audrey was everything to him. From the first day he met her and she called him "Seymour" instead of "Krelborn". He was a person in her eyes. She treated him better than he thought he deserved. And even now, with everything that had happened and everything that he'd done, she was standing beside him. She was the glue that held him together.

"But, would you have taken me with you?" She asked with a smile.

"Huh?"

"If you had to leave that night, would you have taken me with you?"

Seymour bit back a smile. "Would you have wanted to come?"

"Of course I woulda'."

She reached forward and put her hand on his cheek.

"I'd go wherever you go."

He smiled at the thought and put his hand on top of hers on his cheek. "That's nice to know."

She smiled and nodded. "Always."

"Audrey, why are you always so good to me? Even after everything?"

Still smiling, she moved her other hand to the other side of his face. "You know why." Leaning forward she gave him a kiss. "Because I'm not a princess. But you've neva' treated me any less. And despite what you think Seymour, you're no monsta'. I've known monsta's."


	11. May 9-12

_*references my story A Child Of The Street_

* * *

 **May 9 1965**

Seymour arose first that morning. He smiled at his wife through the light from the cracks where the blinds met the wall. Audrey lay on her back with one arm draped across her. Her hand rested on her just barely present baby bump. She looked peaceful. It was a shame she would have to wake up soon.

In hopes of prolonging this as long as possible, Seymour shifted out of bed. Silently he crept about getting ready for the day. It was Mother's Day, and the shop would be busy. They were always closed on Sundays but the holiday was a necessary exception. The shop had always been open on Mother's Day back on Skid Row. Near the end it was one of the few days of sales that kept the shop afloat. Though that wasn't an issue here, the holiday was still special and they knew people would be wanting flowers.

Seymour crept down the hall, passing the spare bedroom next to his and Audrey's. He couldn't help but smile. They hadn't completely started decorating. The walls were only white at the moment and they hadn't assembled a crib. But Audrey had begun filling the room otherwise with a dresser and a rocking chair from an antique store. Decorating the rest would come soon enough. Sooner than they thought. Time was passing quickly these days.

Seymour began to wonder what their child will be like, and not for the first time. It was what they had both been wondering a lot. Neither Audrey or Seymour had a preference on whether they had a boy or girl. Audrey had insisted that if they did have a daughter she would have blonde hair. Both Audrey and her mother were blondes. It was one of their few features they shared. Audrey remembered her mother teaching her to brush it. Seymour had seen very few photos of Audrey as a child but that's how he was picturing their daughter. A little Audrey. As for the boy he didn't know. Seymour glanced at himself in the bathroom mirror and pondered this. He tried to remember what he looked like as a child. He didn't have a photograph. He had worn a pair of broken glasses for most of his childhood. Would either their boy or girl wear glasses? And what about their eyes? Seymour thought Audrey had the prettiest shade of large brown eyes, and she thought the same thing about his blue grey ones. Audrey said her mother also had blue eyes, so they'd just have to wait and see for that one. Whether they had a boy or a girl, Seymour hoped they'd get Audrey's laugh. It was his favorite sound to hear. He hoped he could make their child laugh, and laugh often. And Seymour knew that if their child was anything like Audrey, they would have the biggest heart. Seymour smiled caught up in his thoughts before heading back down the hall and into their bedroom. Reluctantly, he flipped the lights on.

Audrey inhaled and stirred onto her side before opening her eyes. With one hand still resting on her stomach she rubbed her eyes.

"Is it time yet?" she murmured.

"Not quite."

She lay back on her back and closed her eyes. "Just a little longa'."

Seymour smiled as he buttoned up his shirt.

Audrey began to pull herself in a sitting position and stopped dead halfway up. She creased her brow. Looking up briefly, Seymour noticed she looked startled and confused.

"Are you okay?"

She exhaled and slowly lay herself back down. Slowly and gently, as if afraid it might pop, she ran her hand over her baby bump. She pressed in different places as if feeling around for something. The look of concern hadn't left her face.

"What's wrong?"

Audrey didn't answer. Instead she extended one hand to him. He crossed the room and stood by the bed. She took his hand in her own and pulled it over her. He knelt down beside her to comply with her movements. Audrey moved her other hand off a spot on her abdomen and replaced it with Seymour's hand.

"W…"

"Shhhhh."

He stopped talking. That was when he felt it. A twitch or a flutter even. Hardly noticeable at all but very much there.

Seymour's heart skipped. "Is that…"

Audrey smiled and folded her hand atop of his. "Hello sweetheart," she whispered to her bump. She looked at Seymour as if she expected him to say something too.

He cleared his throat. "Hi baby," he started.

He stopped, feeling foolish. But Audrey didn't think he was. She gave a small giggle of admiration and reached one of her hands out to him, running it up and down his arm.

He continued. "You can't hear us yet but… we'll see you real soon."

He glanced at Audrey, she was beaming.

"And we both love you," he added with a smile.

She turned back to their hands. "So so much."

* * *

 ***May 12 1965**

"So I was thinking," Audrey said over her shoulder as if continuing a conversation that hadn't been taking place at this time.

She turned on the tap and began to fill the sink with suds.

"We still have a couple months but I thought for names…"

She trailed off and paced over to the table. Seymour was gathering the dishes and now looking at her with great interest.

"...I thought if we had a girl I could maybe pick the name and if we have a boy you should pick the name. But we should both agree."

Seymour smiled. "That's a lot of pressure. I don't know any good boy names."

He handed the stack of plates to Audrey and she turned back to the sink.

"We could name him Seymour jr." She smiled over her shoulder at him where he was giving her a playful cringe and shook his head.

"You don't want a second Seymour Krelborn?"

"Audrey, I'm already the second Seymour Krelborn," he reminded.

Audrey's mouth gaped open in realization and rolled her neck. "That's right! Your grandfatha'. Well, Seymours a great person. Don't you want anotha'?"

He shook his head sharply.

"Well we aren't doing Audrey junia' either," she stated simply. "But I haven't thought of any otha' girl names yet."

Seymour moved to her side and dumped the silverware in the sink. She could tell by his expression that he wanted to say something.

"What?"

He kept his eyes on the water and elevating bubbles.

"Well, honestly I didn't think I'd be lucky enough to have any kids. But I always thought for a girl... that I liked the name Lucy."

Audrey gasped, suddenly very giddy. "Lucy! I love Lucy!"

Seymour laughed at the unintended pun.

"It's perfect. But then could I pick eitha' the boy's name or the middle name?"

"What did you have in mind?"

Audrey turned off the tap and fished out the plate on the bottom. Seymour handed her the scrub brush.

"Well my middle name is Mae because it's short for my motha's name, Marianne. And her middle name was Elle because it's short for her motha's name, Ellen. But nothing is short for Audrey."

She rinsed and handed off to Seymour who began drying.

"I don't even have a middle name," he remarked.

She turned her eyes to him and smiled. "You could pick one."

He looked at her with playful questioning.

"You like the name Lucy, you could have your name be Ricky or just Rick. Or something short and classic like Lee or different like Hunter."

"We are getting off topic."

Audrey began scrubbing another plate. "I like your motha's name. Alana Floretta Krelborn. What's short for Alana do you think?"

He was quiet for a moment, thinking before responding. "Alan?"

She dropped the plate back in the sink and smiled at Seymour. "Well I think we have the boy's name."

* * *

"I was thinking for middle names," Audrey later stated, turning her head to look at Seymour across the living room, "we could do plants."

A laugh bubbled on his lips and she explained.

"Because you don't have one and I wouldn't want to go with Audrey anyway."

"Oh but I like Audrey!" He expressed.

"I know you do. But… that name has already been used by us."

She put it as gently as she could think of hoping he'd be clued in. Seymour was silent and almost turned green.

"We both love plants," she explained, attempting to move on. "They brought us togetha' in a way. And we have many to choose from. Rose, Lily, Daisy…"

"I see what you mean."

Audrey fished out a pad of note paper and a pencil and spread out on her back on the sofa. The plastic crinkled beneath her. She began to write.

"...Violet, Iris… Can you think of any?"

Seymour ran a hand through his hair. "Well, Carnations are my favorite flower, but that's hardly a name."

Audrey smiled. "Mine too. I remember back at the old shop I was fond of Acacia."

"Why's that?"

"Mista Mushnik had that book of all the things plants meant. And Yellow Acacia means true friend and a secret love."

Seymour smiled, suddenly feeling warm inside. "Write that one too."

Audrey's pencil moved. "Dahlia, Ivy, Lavender, Marigold… that's pretty."

"Marigold," Seymour parroted. "Primrose?"

"I like that." Audrey continued, not just adding flowers. "Willow, Meadow, Fern, Jasmine…"

She stopped and tapped the eraser of the pencil on her lip.

"How many's that?" she asked as if he had been counting.

"Enough."

Audrey smiled and drew a line halfway through the page.

"Boy's will be harder," she remarked. "I can't even think of any right now, can you?"

Seymour ran his finger tips over his lips in a fidget and glanced at the bookshelf.

"Umm… Aspen? Olive, Reed…"

"Alan Reed sounds nice," she interrupted, writing it down.

Seymour moved to the bookshelf and pulled out one of his textbooks, thinking out loud as he flipped through.

"Aster..."

"I remember Asta's. They grew back on Skid Row sometimes, between the cracks in the sidewalk. I've always liked them. They grew in that lot too, with the broken brick walls and the stairs. Rememba'?"

Seymour looked up at her and smiled. "Make sure to write that one down."

Audrey nodded.

"Rue, Kale…"

She snorted but wrote it down nonetheless.

"Cosmo," she added.

"William…"

She looked skeptical.

"No really, there's a plant called Sweet William."

He turned his textbook over for her to see and pointed to a picture of a reddish purple flower.

"William. No kidding," she remarked. "We could also do Charlie for Creeping Charlie."

"Sure."

Audrey's pencil moved.

"Ummm… Alder? Rowan, Rye…"

Seymour scanned through his book running his fingers down in search. Audrey sighed and lowered her notepad.

"I imagine that's all."

Seymour scanned through several more pages before accepting defeat.

"But we found some good ones. And we still have plenty of time."

* * *

 ** _Author's note:_** _The name Lucy actually came from a tumblr post by l_ _ittleshopwould post/69457032758/headcanon_

 _Also, I know somegirlwrites also has an OC named Lucy Krelborn from this, but that is because great minds think alike :) It's a different Lucy if they do end up having a girl (I haven't decided. Which would you guys prefer? Comment or message me) 2-8-19_


	12. June 2-19

_references my stories: Where Relationships Are No Go and A Child Of The Street_

* * *

 **PART THREE:**

 **SUMMER**

 ***June 2 1965**

First hot day of the season. The front door of the shop had been propped open to let the air circulate. It was easy to see that the complacent temperatures soon would be gone. Audrey was exhausted and uncomfortable. She was wearing a new summer dress without sleeves or a waist, somewhat blending her new figure like a tent. It was short but nothing compared to what she used to wear.

She was leaning on the counter by her elbows when a customer came in through the door. Having the door propped open she hadn't heard the bell, but saw Michael leading one around the shop. She only straightened up when he lead him to the front counter and placed a bouquet of roses on the top. Audrey punched buttons on the register.

"That color looks good on you," he commented.

Audrey stopped and looked down. Baby blue. "Thank you."

He motioned down to his purchase. "Do you like roses?"

"Of course I do," she said with a smile.

The man smirked back as he reached into his pocket for his wallet. "What are you doing later?"

"The shop closes at 6:00," she stated naively.

He pulled out several bills and placed them on the counter in front of her. "And what are you doing after?"

Audrey felt ice grow in her stomach with realization. This had happened before. It happened quite frequently on Skid Row, long before Audrey had her voice to speak up with. She would come to think of these comments or these men as the best she could wish for. That wasn't true anymore.

Seymour was standing by the front window just out of earshot of their conversation. He was scrubbing a vase with a small cloth. Audrey didn't hesitate.

"Sweetie?"

Seymour looked up and the man glanced over his shoulder at him. Audrey wracked her brain and tried to think of something that would be necessary to say.

"Umm could you remind me to prepare the daisy orda' for the Charles' later so I don't forget?"

Seymour smirked and nodded, turning back to the vase in his hands. The man kept his eyes on him for several more moments before turning back to Audrey with a skeptical grin.

"Is that your boyfriend?"

The cash register swung open. Audrey quickly counted his change and extended it out.

She shook her head. "No. That's my husband. Have a nice day."

* * *

 **June 11 1965**

Customers were flocking and business had been booming. They'd need to hire more help around the shop. Her name was Chantel. She was 17 but would be 18 this year at the end of the fall. She had a dark complexion and ebony hair. It was Audrey who hired her.

"And what is your favorite flower?" Audrey asked her.

Chantel bit her lip and began to fidget with her nails. She was slouching, making herself look as small as she often felt. But Audrey wasn't treating her as such. Audrey was nice to her.

"Oh, It's not a trick question. Just something I ask everyone who applies here."

Chantel smiled and exhaled in relief. She brought her hands to her lap and smoothed them on her purple skirt.

"Lilac," she said with certainty.

Audrey smiled. "I like them too. They mean a lot of different things."

Her eyes widened with interest. "They do?"

Audrey nodded.

"Like what?"

Audrey thought back to her textbook. "When they are light purple they mean a first love."

Chantel let out a giggle. "They do?" She blushed.

Audrey smiled and rose from her backroom chair. "Here, let me introduce you."

Chantel eagerly hopped off her stool and followed her through the swinging door out to the front of the shop.

"You met my husband, Seymour, when you came in," she explained.

He was speaking with Michael who held a rose arrangement in a glass vase in his hands.

"And this is Michael," she said. "Michael, this is Chantel."

Michael turned around and met her beautiful large black eyes. His heart skipped a beat and the rose arrangement fell from his grip, shattering on the floor.

* * *

 **June 16 1965**

Seymour chose not to leave the shop for his breaks. Not quite so much that he didn't have the option, he definitely did. Back on Skid Row there wasn't really anywhere to go, and home was just a staircase away. Now he chose to stay, but just be off the floor for a minute. He usually spent this time with Audrey. Working with your wife had its perks, and he never truly had to say goodbye.

This afternoon Audrey was in the back room, engulfed in a large project of bridal party corsages. Seymour knew she'd work better on her own and sat behind on an upturned bucket with a book in his hands.

" _People where you live," the little prince said, "grow five thousand roses in one garden… yet they don't find what they're looking for…"_

" _They don't find it," I answered._

" _And yet what they're looking for could be found in a single rose, or a little water…"_

" _Of course," I answered._

 _And the little prince added, "But eyes are blind. You have to look with the heart."_

Seymour paused and glanced up. Even literally he was surrounded by thousands of roses. But there was one in particular he had in mind.

Audrey was sitting on a stool to avoid being on her feet. She had a stern look of concentration on her face as if she were thinking hard. Brow creased and lips in a pout. The same one she had made for years now while building flowers. He was instantly brought back to Skid Row, watching her from across the shop, dreaming and longing.

This wasn't that shop anymore. This was their own shop. They had left that awful place and started on their own. Now they had a shop to call their own and a house to go home to at the end of the day. But Seymour realized those weren't the roses that were making him happy. Had none of this happened, had the shop never been destroyed and there'd never been an Audrey ii. Had he still been that twerp of a klutz with nothing and not even a home to call his own, he still would've been just as happy as he was now so long as he knew Audrey loved him and woke up next to him every day.

"You are my rose, Audrey."

She turned her head over her shoulder and smiled at him.

* * *

 ***June 19 1965**

 _Dear Seymour,_

 _I must admit I was rather surprised receiving your letter. It's been years. I did see you in the paper with your plant some time last fall but never stopped by the shop to say hello. I am glad to hear you are doing well._

 _It has taken me several weeks to respond because at first I didn't have anything to give you. We didn't have much to go on when she arrived. But after speaking to a friend of mine I have made a discovery. Several of your mother's belongings have been discovered in the Manhattan police department._ _They are at The Home now. I'll be sending them in the mail after this._

 _Sincerely, Alastor Stanley_

* * *

 _Credit to Antoine de Saint-Exupéry for the passage from "The Little Prince"_


	13. July 3

_*references my story "A Child Of The Street"_

* * *

 ***July 3 1965**

Audrey noticed it first coming home from the shop that evening.

"Seymour!" she gasped swinging open the front gate with great force and racing ahead.

He was startled to say the least. Audrey didn't get far before she turned back to him beaming and waiting for him to catch up. That was when he noticed it. Sitting right in front of their front door was a brown package. He didn't know what he was expecting but it was bigger than he thought it might be. Just slightly larger than a shoebox. It sat there waiting for him.

Picking it up, it wasn't very heavy. It sounded like papers shifting inside and tried to hold it level. Up until now all he had had from his mother was a single folder. One of the few items that had come with them from Skid Row. It contained his mother's death certificate and Seymour's birth certificate. Both these items brought him great agitation but couldn't bare to leave them behind. It would have been like leaving her behind. It was also a gift from Mr. Stanley that he had given Seymour when he had first left The Home to work for Mr. Mushnik. Along with a small white envelope inside, which contained a single pink carnation which Stanley had found in her palm after she had passed. He didn't have anything of his father's. In fact, he didn't even have a name. It wasn't written on his birth certificate, or more that it wasn't finished being written. But it was the only hint he had.

They took the box inside and placed it on the table.

Lifting the lid with both hands Seymour couldn't help but laugh.

"Carnations?" Audrey asked leaning forward to glance in.

On top of all the items sat a dozen dried carnations.

"It looks like the rest of the bouquet."

Seymour reached in and lifted them as gently as he was able. Dried petals shed and rained down onto the other items. He placed them on the table and turned back to the box.

"Oh Audrey look!"

A magazine was curved in a J shape on the bottom and side of the box to fit. The colors were faded but he read white letters clearly on top of a picture of a suburban house: _Better Homes And Gardens July 1940 10c_

"Oh my goodness," she breathed.

He pulled it out and handed it off to her.

"Bizzare."

Seymour began to wade through the papers. There were around a dozen envelopes torn open; only about half still containing their letters. He pulled some out forming a pile on the table. It was underneath he noticed the photographs. Loosely thrown in the box were small sepia or black and white snapshots. On top he found one a child around the age of six who stood on the street he recognized as Skid Row. She wore a loose knee length jumper and short curly hair. In her arms she held a small stray cat, and she was smiling as if she was laughing. He glanced at the back where it was written "Alana April 1926"

He handed the photo to Audrey who awwed in response.

Seymour held the stack of photos in his hands and flipped through them. Most of them had his mother in it at a different age. She was usually with a different person or persons, none of which Seymour recognized or expected to. He stopped when Audrey grabbed his arm with her claw nails.

"Seymour! That's my motha'!"

Frantically he flipped back. Alana was in the middle of a group of four girls, all of whom were wearing very short skirts and curly hair, though hers were the only that looked genuine. He didn't recognize the two others but to her immediate left stood a taller girl with platinum blonde hair. He flipped the photo over and in faded pen read "Dorothy, Marianne, Alana, Louise June 1938"

"I didn't know they knew each otha'."

Seymour smiled. "No kidding."

He handed the photograph off to Audrey who held it close to examine.

"Wow," she breathed before putting it next to the other treasures.

Audrey noticed Seymour had come to another photo and stopped. There was his mother in her late teenage years standing in front of a car. Standing next to her was a man, taller and blonde. They stood almost too close to be friendly. Seymour bit his lip.

"Audrey…" he extended it out to her, "do you think this could be my father?"

She took the photograph in her hands. Immediately she flipped it over hoping to see a name or a date written here as well but it was blank. Audrey sighed in disgruntlement. She held the photograph up and glanced from it to Seymour and back.

"I don't know. You look so much like your motha' it's hard to tell."

Seymour twisted his mouth in frustration.

"Erik S was his name, right?"

Seymour nodded.

Audrey handed the photo back to him and pulled the stack of envelopes from the box and began to flip through, checking the return addresses for that name. After several moments she shook her head sadly.

"No. Nothing from him in here."

Seymour sighed and put the photograph on the table, nervously drumming his fingers.

"Are you okay?"

He nodded and looked up at her. "Yeah. Yeah I just thought maybe…"

She moved her hand to his arm and ran it up and down to comfort him.

"What else is there?" she asked in hopes of changing the subject before he got too emotional.

At the bottom of the box, hidden behind the papers and photographs, were books. Only two. Seymour pulled out the one on top. It looked as if it had been well loved with it's worn cover and dog eared pages. "A plant lover's guide to botany" read the title.

Seymour flipped it open and smiled. Along the borders of pages were notes in pencil in his mother's writing. He now knew where his love of plants had come from. The other book caught him off guard. By its colorful cover Seymour could tell already it was a children's book. He pushed the loose papers out of the way to get a better look.

"Audrey!" he gasped.

Seymour reached into the box and gripped it with both hands. "The Little Prince". Unlike the other this one looked new. It felt stiff like it hadn't been read before, as if just purchased.

"Why would she have this?" Seymour wondered aloud.

He turned and handed it off to Audrey. Immediately she opened it up and began to wade through. Finding nothing, she closed it again and turned it in her hands.

"It looks as if she had just bought it. Why would she do that? Why would she be buying a children's book?"

Audrey froze with realization and glanced up. "Seymour… I think she bought this for you."

She handed it back to Seymour who abruptly took it in his hands and looked at it.

"But… but how…"

"Maybe she was getting ready to read it to you."

He stared down at the cover of the little boy on the planet until it's image became blurry with tears. Through this entire exchange he had held it together, but this is what broke him.

* * *

The phone felt clammy in his hands, or were his palms just sweaty?

A high pitched voice chirped from the other side, "Operator, how may I direct your call?"

Seymour answered before he could talk himself out of it. "The Skid Row Home for boys… please."

"I will connect you."

He heard the beeping of each connection on the other side and glanced over at Audrey. She was sitting at the table and smiling at him. She wasn't smiling a happy smile, but for support. As if to say, "I'm here for you." She really was. Seymour knew she would support him no matter his decision right now. If he hung up the phone right now she wouldn't give him a hard time about it. She of all people would understand. It would never be brought up again. And she was here supporting him now. She was standing beside him and brought such sweet understanding.

Suddenly he heard a voice on the other end that wasn't as cheerful as the others. "Skid Row home for boys."

Seymour opened his mouth to speak and glanced back at Audrey. She could tell by his expression he had gotten through and sat up in her chair.

"M… Is Mr. Stanley there? By any chance?"

"Yeah gimme a minute."

Seymour nodded and Audrey abruptly rose from her chair and went over to him. She leaned next to him and ducked her head next to the phone trying to hear. Seymour motioned to the other room where they kept the extension and she exited. Seymour heard shuffling on the other line and readjusted the phone to his other ear, drying his palm on his khakis.

"Hello?"

He bit his lip. "Hi Mr. Stanley… this is Seymour Krelborn."

"Jesus Christ."

Seymour didn't know quite how to respond and rubbed his hand on his face. He heard Audrey pick up the other line to listen.

"I got the box…"

He didn't hear anything.

"... and thank you for that. You'd never know how much…" He lost his words.

"Yeah."

For some reason Seymour felt relieved by his short answers. Mr. Stanley wasn't one for emotion. Seymour took a deep breath. "Sir, I have a question," he said, finding his confidence at last. "I don't know if you know but I figured I'd try."

"Sure."

Seymour glanced at the box resting on the table.

"In the box there were pictures. And I saw one… of my mother. S-she was with a man. I know you said you knew her and I was wondering if you knew if that could possibly be my father?"

"What'd he look like?"

Seymour was startled by his sudden response. "Umm… he was tall and blonde…"

"No, that's not him."

Seymour was silent. He heard Mr. Stanley exhale sharply on the other end as if he was very annoyed with himself.

"D… do you know who is?"

There was a silence that followed just long enough for Seymour to wonder if the call had dropped.

"...yes."

He gripped the phone tightly. Seymour heard Audrey gasp from the other room.

"You do?"

"Mhmmm."

Seymour brushed his hand against his brow. He had so many questions but they all got caught in his throat. Finally he choked out, "How?"

"She told me."

"She did?!"

It was true. Mr. Stanley had heard what the nurse had been just too far away to catch clearly. He'd heard. He had known. He had always known. Mr. Stanley exhaled sharply again. "I'm really sorry, Seymour. I never told you. I never told anyone. She wouldn't have wanted me to."

Seymour loosened his vice grip on the phone slightly.

"Y'know the last thing she asked me was to keep you safe."

Despite his sudden strike of panic, a smile spread on Seymour's lips. "She did?"

"That's why we kept you here."

He didn't need to explain, Seymour understood. His father was a bad man.

The next words came so calm and gently, as if Mr. Stanley had been waiting to say them for some time. "But I think enough time has passed. Would you like to know who he is?"

His emotions suddenly spinned. Did he?

He heard the extension hang up and Audrey reentered the room with wide eyes.

Seymour put his hand over the receiver. "What do I do?" he mouthed to her.

She shook her head and shrugged as if to say, "I have no idea."

He put his hand to his mouth to chew on his nails in nerves. Audrey stepped forward and rubbed her hand against his back for support. Seymour felt more calm.

"Y… maybe?"

"Here, I'll mail you information and you can read it yourself if you want."

Seymour nodded and smiled meekly. "Okay." He swallowed. "Sir, there is one thing I do want to know." Audrey held him as he spoke. He felt faint but she wasn't about to let him fall. "Is he still alive?"

"No."

Seymour felt all his anxieties leave him suddenly.

"I kept my eye on him. He died in Amsterdam a year or two after you were born."

Seymour raised his brow. "Was he deployed?"

He heard a chuckle on the other end which Mr. Stanley disguised as a cough. "He had gotten syphilis from a whore in France."

Seymour's mouth fell open.

"Karma if you ask me," was mumbled on the other end as if not quite for him to hear.

Seymour nodded. He was done talking.

"Thank you, sir. Thank you so much. For everything."


	14. July 10-19

**July 10 1965**

"What are you thinking?"

Audrey stood in the middle of the spare bedroom gazing at the four walls. Her arms were crossed across her chest. She had a look on her face that Seymour recognized from the shop while building an intricate bouquet. Brow creased and lips in a pout. It meant she was thinking hard

"Well…" She trailed off and brought her hand to her chin.

"What are you thinking for the walls?" Seymour asked in an attempt to ease up the question.

She halfway smirked. "Well… I don't think I want to do pink or blue."

Seymour glanced around and shook his head to show he agreed with this.

"I was thinking… maybe some wallpapa' would be nice?"

Audrey looked at him as if waiting for his approval. She didn't smile until he did.

"Something… something nice. I always wanted a nice bedroom. I sometimes didn't have one, but I rememba' as a child wanting flowa's. I did that in my old apartment back on Skid Row."

Seymour stared at the blank walls. "My walls growing up were an off white. I could never figure out if it was once white and got dirty or if they meant to paint it that color. It reminded me of clam chowder."

Audrey smiled. She crossed the room with her arms extended.

"And right here I was thinking we'd put the crib. It's far enough away from the window but they'd still be able to see the sunrise. And there's enough room for it to be a bed later."

She blushed and turned her face down.

"What?" Seymour asked.

She turned her head and smiled through the curtain of her hair. "I was just thinking bunk beds could fit too, if we had more than one."

Seymour snickered in spite of himself but nodded. "That'd work."

"I'd like to have more than one."

"Me too."

"I'd love to have a boy and a girl."

"Me too."

"Maybe we'll have more than one right away. Maybe we'll have twins, a boy and a girl."

She glanced at him.

"That sounds too much like a plot contrivance."

Audrey sighed and rested her hands on her abdomen where her bump was very present now that she had reached her second trimester.

"It's really real. It's happening." She smiled. "I was just thinking about how when we lived on Skid Row how much I wanted this."

Seymour smiled. "Me too. It doesn't always feel real, even now." It was his turn to blush. "Remember when I took you to your first appointment and the doctor said it wasn't common for fathers to come?"

Audrey nodded.

"It took me a moment to realize that that was me."

Audrey laughed and turned her head towards the window.

"I'd like to hang floor length curtains."

Seymour took several steps forward and glanced at the window.

"Are you sure? I think just a shade would be fine."

Audrey ran her hand on her baby bump and looked down. "What do you think, little one? What would you like?"

She was still for several moments before a wide smile spread across her face. She quickly grabbed Seymour's hand and placed it on her belly where a tiny life gave a small kick.

"Curtains it is."

* * *

 **July 17 1965**

 _Poor soul,_ Seymour thought.

He watched as across the shop Michael had completely forgotten he was working. Instead he was staring off, and Seymour knew why. Just across the shop was Chantel. Her back was turned as she arranged a shelf. She seemed caught up in her own little world and was bouncing her toe humming along to the song on the shop's radio. She wore a pale green and white dress and Audrey's fashion had inspired her to buy a pair of high heels. Her hair was pulled back with a headband and a loose rose from the shop she had stuck in. And Michael couldn't help but stare.

 _I know exactly how he feels._

It carried on like that for the rest of the day, nearly painful to watch. Finally the customers had cleared out and the sign had been changed from Open to Closed. Chantel began to gather her bearings. She swung her purse over her shoulder and looked back into the shop.

"Goodnight," she called. Smiling she panned her head over and added, "Goodnight Michael," before closing the door behind her.

"Goodnight Ch…"

The ring of the bell on the door had drowned him out. Michael glanced down at the mess he had been avoiding and began to sweep vigorously.

"Here, Michael, I'll finish up," Seymour said, taking the broom from him.

He smiled at Seymour and then at Audrey behind the counter before shoving his hands in his pockets and heading out the door.

"Goodnight," he called behind him.

"I wonder if we were ever this frustrating to watch," Audrey murmured watching the door close behind him, "for Mista' Mushnik."

Seymour sighed and gripped the broom. Slowly he began sweeping the shop floor.

"He knew I liked you," Seymour admit while keeping his eyes on the ground. "He jested about it a lot."

Audrey frowned. "He did?"

He nodded. Audrey looked down at the counter where she was adding up the day's receipts, but was unable to focus.

"Like what?" She asked before realizing that probably wasn't a topic he wanted to discuss.

He didn't seem to mind. Seymour paused his sweeping and looked up. He propped his arm on the top of the broom and rested his chin.

"Little things. Like he called me 'quite the catch' and 'loverboy'." Seymour sighed and began sweeping again. "From the first day you came in he told me to forget it. I didn't have a chance."

His voice had dropped a low melancholy. Audrey propped her elbows on the counter.

"That's almost funny now."

Seymour looked up and smiled. "I guess it is."

He looked down at the broom in his hands and back up at Audrey standing behind the counter. This had a sense of familiarity to it, and he was reminded of dreaming back in the Skid Row shop.

"I wasn't exactly discreet," Seymour admit. "I guess I've never asked. Did you know that I liked you at the time?"

To his surprise, Audrey's face dropped and she moved her head, looking anywhere but his eyes.

"I hoped that you didn't."

Seymour cocked his head. This was an odd reply. "Why?"

She shrugged and pressed her lips together before turning back to his face. "Because then I would'a known there was nothing I could'a done."

She moved her eyes away again and he walked over to the counter, standing parallel on the other side.

"What do you mean?"

She smiled sheepishly. "It's stupid."

Seymour shook his head. He hated when she talked down about herself like that.

She took a deep breath. "I didn't think I could eva' have you, Seymour. I had a lot going on with my otha' jobs and what I'd done in the past… I just never felt worthy of you."

Tears began to pool in the inner corner of her eye. She brushed them away with her fingertip and smiled as if they were a joke.

"So I was hoping that you'd find someone else. That way I wouldn't feel so bad. There would have been nothing I could do then. If I knew for sure you didn't like me and you were happy then I'd have no choice but to stop dreaming. A nice girl. Someone pretty who would treat you right. The kinda girl you deserved. Sweet, kind…."

Seymour leaned the broom against the counter and paced over to the other side, wrapping his arms around her from behind.

"I've got my girl."

Audrey smiled. She felt their child flutter and moved Seymour's hands lower on her abdomen so he could feel it too.

"What about you? Did you know that I liked you?" She asked, turning to face him.

"I had no idea."

Audrey pressed her lips together and smiled. "I didn't think I was being discreet eitha'. From the day I came to work there I liked you. I had those maga…" she interrupted with a snort of laughter and rested her hand on her cheek to cover her blushing. "I had those magazines. And I used'ta doodle 'Mrs. Audrey Krelborn' in the corna' of the pages."

Seymour blushed red and smiled at the floor. This wasn't the first time she had shared this. He thought back to all the times she had come into the shop with one of those magazines tucked under her arm. Gazing up at him with a smile. He had no idea.

* * *

 **July 19 1965**

The back room of the shop was feeling like a sauna. Audrey was sitting at her table with her arms crossed and head facing upward. Even under different circumstances she would've been incredibly uncomfortable. This felt ridiculous.

She was brought back to reality by the clink of a glass of water being placed on the table in front of her.

"Oh! Thank you Michael."

He didn't smile but instead creased his brow and bit his lip. "Mrs. Krelborn, are you okay?"

She smiled and nodded. "Yes Michael. I'm fine."

He twiddled his fingers. "I'm sorry. I just… get worried sometimes."

She picked up her glass and spoke before taking a sip. "Seymour worries enough for all of us."

At this Michael snickered.

Audrey motioned to the chair next to her and Michael sat down.

"You know you are always welcome to call us Audrey and Seymour."

A smile twitched at the corner of his mouth for a minute and he shook his head once. He knew, but he preferred it this way.

"Have I ever told you how I met him?"

Michael gazed off and squinted as he thought back. "In a flower shop in the city."

Audrey nodded. "It was right across the street from my apartment building, and I stepped in one day when he was working."

She took a long sip of the water. It was cold and condensation was dripping down the side.

"What happened?"

She snickered before she could finish swallowing. "He dropped a vase of roses, right at my feet."

His jaw dropped. "No!"

Audrey nodded and laughed. "Seymour was a klutz, but he was one of the smartest people I have ever met. And you wanna know something, Michael? That's why I hired you. I saw a lot of him in you."

He smiled and blushed.

The condensation had left a ring on the table and Audrey ran her finger through it, trailing patterns.

"We didn't get togetha' right away," she mentioned. "That took a long time actually."

Michael watched her hand. She had traced a heart. Audrey could see he was deep in thought and knew exactly what he was thinking about.

"...how long?"

"A little ova' a year or so."

He brought his hand to his mouth and stuck his thumb nail between his teeth. "Really?"

He sounded greatly disappointed. "Why's that?"

Her finger trailed to the side of the glass and she ran it along the rim.

"A million different reasons." Audrey glanced over at him. "I didn't think he'd like me."

Michael dropped his hand back in his lap and cocked his head to the side in confusion. This was something he couldn't even imagine.

"It's silly to think about that now." She ran her hand against her prominent baby bump.

Michael's eyes followed her hand and caught sight of her wedding band. A smile twitched at the side of his mouth. "It is."

"But that's what a truly thought. I liked him and he liked me and neitha' of us knew it. I just wish it hadn't taken so long for one of us to say something."

His eyes widened and fell on his hands in his lap. Audrey saw him tinge pink and it wasn't from the heat.

"Do you think…" He stopped himself.

Audrey leaned forward and brushed her hand on his shoulder.

"Chantel is sweet, isn't she," she whispered.

His breathing skipped at first and he bit his lip. After a moment he slowly raised his head and looked back at Audrey.

"What do I do?" he asked in a hushed voice as if it were a secret.

"I don't know. But what I do know is Seymour and I wasted an entire year of our lives where we could'a been togetha'."


	15. July 29 - August 4

**July 29 1965**

"Seymour, something feels weird."

Audrey rolled onto her back and placed her hands on her abdomen.

"What kind of weird?" He asked.

She shook her head. "Not a good kind of weird."

Suddenly alarmed, Seymour sat up and turned on the lamp.

"Are you okay? Do you need to go to the doctor?"

She didn't answer, or acknowledge that he had said anything at first until she pressed her lips together and shook her head.

"No," she said looking up at him. "No I'm okay. I think I'm just hungry. Is it too early for breakfast?"

Seymour smiled. "What would you like?"

Audrey thought for a moment. A number of things she normally loved had been making her sick, and she wasn't craving anything specific.

"Oatmeal."

Seymour kissed the top of her head and climbed out of bed. He left the bedroom door open and Audrey could hear him pace down the hall and fumbling about the kitchen. Audrey counted up the weeks in her mind. It was way too early. Her due date wasn't until the end of October. She was imagining things. But still, it felt almost like a cramp. Why would she have a cramp?

Several minutes later Seymour returned to help her out of bed. This had become part of the routine the larger she became. She sat up and exhaled deeply before rising fully to her feet and following him out of the room.

"Shipments come in today," Audrey thought out loud as they reached the kitchen. Seymour sat down. Audrey poured herself a glass of orange juice before she joined him.

"Are we out of anything?" he wondered.

"No, but we were getting close. The orda' last week nearly used all the baby's bre…"

She stopped herself and scrunched her face in pain.

"Baby," she repeated putting her hand on her abdomen. She grunted in pain. Her plastic cup of orange juice fell from her grip and splattered on the floor before rolling along the tile. Seymour rose to his feet.

He didn't need to explain that he was taking her to the hospital. She understood. Actually, Audrey noticed he had become unnaturally quiet as he quickly dressed himself.

"It just… I feel funny," she explained. "I don't know if it's really happening though. I could be imagi…" she stopped herself and grabbed her abdomen again.

"I'm sure you're okay," Seymour said as he locked the front door behind him and ushered Audrey to the car. "But let's see anyway."

"We're supposed'ta open the shop soon," she pointed out.

"Michael has a key. I'll call later and tell him what's going on."

"The inventory shipment is coming today though."

"Chantel can handle that. Just relax."

Audrey nodded in agreement but didn't move her eyes off the ground. Normally so apprehensive on seeing a doctor, Audrey was swayed if it was for their child. Seymour opened her car door and she sat herself down.

She kept thinking to herself that it was too early. There was no way she would be in labor now. But worries began to creep up on her. This feeling was new. She had felt many weird sensations and movements, but this was new. Was there a chance? Would they be taking a baby home today? She shook her head. That was a silly thought. Because even if she did go into labor, it would be too early so likely…

She shoved her knuckles in her mouth and cried out as she came to the realization.

"Are you okay?" he asked glancing sideways at her.

She shook her head. "Seymour what if something happened and I went into labor?! It'd be too early! Our baby wouldn't make it probably!"

Seymour said nothing. Audrey saw him flinch ever so slightly but continued driving. He tried to come up with words but they all got stuck in his throat, and he remained silent.

Audrey wasn't calmed by this and began crying. The sight of the passing street became blurry as tears began to flood from her eyes. She didn't bother wiping them away or holding them in. It would just make her sick. Sobs came freely.

Seymour looked over at her. He wished he was able to wrap his arms around her and tell her it would be okay. Instead, he kept one hand on the wheel and ran his hand up and down her arm to comfort her.

"What if I lost our baby?" Audrey whispered meekly.

Seymour looked sideways at her. She had turned pale and she hung her face in her hands.

"Seymour, I don't think I could eva' forgive mysel…"

"Shhhhh." He ran his palm across her back.

"I've seen that happen before."

He glanced sideways at her again. She turned her face away.

"In nightmares. I've seen it happen a lot. Something happens, or I do something wrong and our baby doesn't make it."

She sat in silence as she tried unsuccessfully to steady her breathing, which still came in heaving sobs.

"You've never told me that."

She shook her head. "I didn't want to worry you. I feel so stupid." She wiped her face with the back of her hand. "I've neva' dreamt us with a baby, Seymour."

He didn't say anything. He slowed the car to a red light and Audrey glanced over at him. His expression looked pained, but for what exactly she couldn't tell.

"Audrey please don't cry." He took her hand and swallowed. "Audrey, you are the one always telling me these nightmares are just dreams. They aren't real."

Her sobs slowed back to regular breathing, but her tears continued to stream. Audrey stared into Seymour's grey eyes. She thought about how much she loved him. He was everything to her. He had patched her up when she had fallen apart and continued to do so every day.

"I feel silly."

"Don't be. Remember all the times I told you Audrey ii was coming back?"

Despite her tears a smile curved along her lips she was unable to suppress.

"Just breathe, alright. We'll be there soon. Everything is going to be okay."

The car began to move again. Audrey took a deep breath of air and slumped back in the passenger seat. She focused on the passing images out the car window. Suddenly her breathing skipped again and she put her hand on her abdomen. Seymour reached over and placed his hand on top.

"I've been working myself too hard. Maybe I haven't been eating right. I used to not be very responsible. What if I…"

"Shhhhhh." He ran his thumb up and down her hand. "How's that song go?"

"Huh?" she asked.

"The green one."

Audrey stared at him.

"You sing it a lot. I really like it."

Her lips parted into a smile. "I haven't sang that in a while."

" _A matchbox of our own,"_ he started, " _A fence of real chain link. A grill out on the patio. Disposal in the sink."_

Slowly and quietly a whisper came from Audrey's lips as she joined him.

" _A washer and a drya', and an ironing machine. In a tract house that we share…"_

Seymour slowed and put the car in park.

" _...Somewhere that's green."_

* * *

"It's called Braxton Hicks," Doctor Wilkhof explained. "Random contractions before the big day. They can start long before that. Sometimes in the second trimester. They may be uncomfortable but they don't mean anything."

Audrey tried to process what he was saying. "So, the baby is okay?" she asked.

"The baby is just fine."

A relieved smile spread across her face. "And I'm alright?"

Dr. Wilkof sighed as he raised his clipboard. "For the most part. I'm a little worried about a few things though. You've definitely experienced more morning sickness than my average patients. People assume it's just a natural part of pregnancy for women to be throwing up because they always are in books, but that's more uncommon. And you are gaining weight and expanding quickly."

"Does that mean anything?"

"It could mean a lot of things but it could also mean nothing." He put down his clipboard. "Are you overworking yourself?"

She brought her hand to mouth and chewed on her pinky nail. "I guess I am."

He smiled and shook his head. "That needs to stop now that we are closer to your due date."

Audrey frowned and stuck out her lip. "Stop working altogether?"

"Not altogether. Not yet. Just enough rest for me to be able to stop worrying about you."

Finally she smiled. "Okay."

"But we don't need you for anything else. You're free to go whenever you'd like."

He ushered himself out and Audrey watched the door close behind him. She let go of her breath.

"Well… that's a relief."

Glancing over at Seymour she saw he was covering his entire face with his hand, still like stone.

"Seymour?"

She climbed off the exam table and placed her hand on his shoulder. He moved his hand out of the way and she saw tears still streaming out of his eyes.

"Sweetheart! Are you okay?!"

He smiled at her. "Yeah. Yeah I'm okay now. I just… I'm so relieved."

She covered her mouth with her hand.

" _You_ were scared?"

He nodded.

"But h… you didn't say anything."

He shook his head. "You needed me to stay calm."

At this Audrey began to cry. The larger she became the more difficult it was to hold her, but Seymour tried.

"I know nothing's going to happen," he whispered into her hair. He pulled back enough for her to see his face. Audrey took his face in her hands and brushed away his tears. "Because it's like you said. After what we've been through…"

"...this is nothing," she finished.

She glanced down at her stomach and placed her hand on top. "You gave us quite the scare, sweetheart."

Seymour smiled again and placed his hand next to hers. "You're one lucky kid. You've got one strong mother."

Audrey smiled. "And the best fatha' you could ask for."

* * *

 **August 4 1965**

"...and what's your favorite flower?" Audrey asked. "It's something I ask all the new employees."

The woman drummed her finger on her chin. "Ummm… sweetpea."

Audrey smiled. "Gratitude."

Audrey couldn't deny it any longer. She was getting more tired than she was used to. It would soon be too much, and then once her baby was born she would have to step away completely for some time. They had to start training a replacement. At least to take the load off her for now. Her name was Shirley. She was tall, several years older than Audrey, and she had auburn hair up in an intricate updo which Audrey thought was gorgeous.

"How soon would you like me to start?"

Audrey looked impressed. "Well, how soon are you able?"

"Anytime. My husband works as well but my mother is all set to watch the kids during the day until school starts. She's glad to."

Audrey smiled. "How old are your kids?"

Shirley relaxed from her interview persona. "My son is seven and my daughter is six."

"Will she be starting kindergarten or first grade this year?"

She beamed with pride. "First grade. She's very bright."

The two of them smiled for a moment before Shirley motioned forward.

"I couldn't go back to work until now. I stopped when I first got pregnant with my son. It got too difficult. But you… wow. To go this long, I am extremely impressed. You must get that a lot, or people thinking you can't do it. I see how strong you are. And honestly, I'm proud."

Audrey brought her hand to her mouth and closed her eyes. Hardly anyone in her entire life had ever said they were proud of her.

"Mrs. Krelborn?"

She shook her head and smiled. "I'm sorry. Oh, and please call me Audrey."

Shirley nodded.

"Here, I'll introduce you to everyone."


	16. August 16-31

_*references my story "Ya Never Know"_

* * *

 **August 16 1965**

The shop took a liking to Shirley right away.

Audrey liked her especially. Her last female "friends" had been the girls who worked alongside her at The Gutter, and she could hardly even call them that. Shirley was a wife and a mother. She had stories to tell, and advice to give Audrey without looking down her nose at her. The two were able to discuss their husbands and their gardens at home. Audrey loved to hear about Shirley's children. She thought that she'd be able to share her own stories someday.

It was also nice to have the load taken off. Nicer than she thought it would be. There was less pressure. Audrey was able to rest when she needed it or head home early when she felt too sick or tired. Before it was like pulling teeth to get her to stop moving, but now that she knew they had the help she didn't feel guilty. She wasn't ready to step away completely though. Not yet.

It was during one of these half days, after Seymour had taken Audrey home at lunch, that Shirley struck up a conversation with him.

"You and Audrey are just the cutest," she commented.

Seymour smiled.

"When did you two start dating?"

He held his hand to his mouth to disguise his laughter as a cough, and to cover his sheepish smile. "Last November."

"No! Really?" Shirley exhaled in shock.

"Well we were friends for a while first," he quickly explained. "We just never got together."

"Why's that? You two just fit."

Seymour appreciated that she wasn't asking this to be nosy. She was trying to get to know them better.

"A million reasons."

That could have been the end of the conversation, but out of the corner of his eye Seymour noticed Chantel. She was standing just in earshot of the two, with her back to them. On the floor by her feet was a box of pots and she was restocking a shelf with them. Seymour noticed she had slowed down. She must be listening. He had an idea.

"We were very good friends," Seymour said loudly, "But I was so certain that she just didn't like me. So I never asked her out."

Chantel paused and pretended to admire the pot in her hands.

"I wanted to though," he threw in for good measure.

Shirley followed Seymour's gaze and smiled knowingly before turning back to him.

"She liked you too, I bet," she added.

Seymour shrugged. "I didn't know that. I liked her and she liked me and we were both too scared to say something."

Shirley smiled. "Well what finally brought you together?"

Seymour hesitated. Chantel had stopped completely and turned her head to listen better.

"Finally being honest."

Chantel placed the last pot on the shelf, and packed up the box before heading into the back room, swiftly and without a word.

"I haven't been here long," Shirley commented. "But even I can see those kids like each other."

* * *

 **August 21 1965**

"I didn't think I'd get this big," Audrey remarked.

She layed in bed examining her baby bump. It rose the covers around her like a tent. She felt a little life move and placed her hand on that spot.

"I think I'm bigga' than normal. I'll have to ask Shirley."

Seymour was getting dressed by the bedroom mirror and exhaled a small laugh. "How are you feeling today?"

Audrey sighed. "Tired." She ran her hand up and down her bump. "I look and feel like I swallowed a planet."

Seymour laughed at this as well.

She drummed her fingers and sighed. "I wonda' how long it'll take me to get back to my normal size."

Seymour looked up from his shoelaces. He realized Audrey wasn't making jokes. She was feeling self conscious. She always had been, but he never considered this problem arising now.

"You're beautiful," he commented.

She rolled her head to the side and looked at him.

"I think you are the most beautiful person who ever lived. Did you know that?"

She stared at him blankly for several long moments before a smile formed on her lips and she nodded.

Seymour took a step forward, leaned in, and brushed the hair off her forehead before planting a kiss there.

"I love you."

Audrey smiled.

Seymour moved his eyes down to her bump and placed a kiss there as well. "And I love you too."

* * *

 ***August 22 1965**

When they had left Skid Row they didn't take much with them. Nothing felt necessary. And if anything, Audrey ii had given them a new perspective about material things. Audrey brought her suitcase that night. She took only with her a few dresses, her leopard print pumps, the stuffed cocker spaniel that Seymour had anonymously given her last valentines day, and several dog eared copies of "Better Homes And Gardens". Arriving at their new home there where built in shelves, where Audrey had placed these magazines and forgotten about them.

Seymour found them late one Sunday afternoon. Moving one of his textbooks back on the shelves, he caught a glimpse of them. He hadn't seen them lately. They were so thin that they remained hidden between the thick books. Smiling, he pulled one out. Suddenly he was caught up in the memory of Audrey behind the shop counter. When business was slow she used to bring them into the shop and read them and dream for hours. Glimpsing over her shoulder, Seymour dreamed along with her. They weren't necessary anymore, but a nice souvenir to have.

Audrey came in the room behind him. He glanced over his shoulder and smiled. He extended it out to her.

"Oh my goodness, I rememba'." She opened it to the cover page.

She closed her eyes in excitement and smiled before leaning the magazine for Seymour to see as well. Between the two pages something stuck out. Completely flattened and dried where several roses. They were a deep burgundy shade for their age, and shone very visible on the pastel color pages.

"What is this?" Seymour asked.

Audrey reached in and grabbed one by the stem, extending it out to him.

"Rememba' the first time I came into the shop? When we met and you dropped the rose arrangement at my feet, and I bought those roses?"

Seymour took the rose from her and smirked out of the corner of his mouth.

Audrey nodded to the flower. "That's them."

Seymour glanced up. "You saved them?"

She blushed and smiled. "Of course I did."

He was at a loss for words and looked back at the rose. "Why?"

She took a step forward and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Because they were magic."

* * *

 **August 31 1965**

"Audrey are you alright? You're trembling?"

She rolled over and put her head on his chest. Seymour wrapped his arms around her.

"I was dreaming," she breathed.

He rubbed his hand up and down her back and kissed her forehead.

"I'm so sorry."

Audrey lifted her head and looked at him.

"No, no it was a good dream. A _really_ good dream." She lay her head back down and searched for his hand in the dark, interlocking her fingers once she located it.

"Really?"

He couldn't remember this ever happening. Nearly every night she woke in trembles, and never for good reasons. The worst times was when she wasn't able to wake herself and Seymour would have to shake her as she screamed out for him. It had become routine. He never recalled her having a good dream.

"You were there," she breathed.

"I was?"

She nodded.

"What happened?"

He felt her smile against his chest.

"It was here, at our house. Out in our yard."

She buried her smile into his chest and he heard her giggle.

"What?"

She lifted her head and he brought his free hand to her face.

"We had two kids, Seymour. A boy and a girl. I saw them."

Seymour sat up. Audrey rolled onto her back and looked up at him.

"Really?"

She nodded.

"What were they like?"

"They were playing in the garden, watering the flowa's. Our kids like plants too."

Seymour smiled. "What'd they look like?"

Audrey thought back. "Kinda like us." She found his hand again and squeezed it. "Our daughter has blonde hair just like I told you she would. Our son has your curly brown hair."

Seymour's heart fluttered at her saying "our daughter" and "our son".

"They're beautiful, Seymour. You'll see."

Seymour leaned forward and pressed his forehead against hers. She giggled and stroked his cheek with her thumb.

"You didn't… happen to see which one was older, did you?"

Audrey thought for a moment before she shook her head. "No, I couldn't tell."

She ran her hand along her baby bump and he rested his hand atop of hers.

"So we'll still have to wait and see."


	17. September 1-21

_Author's note: unimportant, but it is on this day (April 21) one year ago that I first learned about the existence of this musical, and that it wasn't the one with Tim Curry in eye shadow. So in honor, enjoy this chapter today 4-21-19_

* * *

 **PART FOUR:**

 **FALL**

 **September 1 1965**

Seymour had long since fallen asleep but the restlessness of their child kept Audrey awake. She could just make out his image in the pale darkness. She saw his face and the rise and fall of his shoulders as he slept. She couldn't help but stare.

It had been less than one year. Less than one year ago she was with Orin. Less than one year ago she was dreaming of Seymour from across the shop. Less than one year ago she felt she had nothing and no one, and thought she _was_ nothing and no one. _He purified me,_ she thought.

Seymour was so different than anyone she had met in her entire life. And it still amazed her that she not only found him, but that he loved her back.

Here they were, less than one year later. She felt their child stir and smiled. Careful not to wake him, she reached over and brushed her hand through Seymour's hair lightly and lovingly.

"You're gonna be an amazing fatha'," she whispered.

A smile twitched at the corner of Seymour's mouth as he kept sleeping.

* * *

 **September 6 1965**

Seymour watched Audrey as she trudged to the car from their mailbox before work. Their child would be coming soon and it was very visible, making her slower than normal. Audrey and Shirley had been referring to her state as "about to pop". He couldn't help but smile.

As Audrey walked she held the mail in her hands and flipped through. Without looking, she opened the passenger side door and climbed in.

"Anything interesting?" Seymour asked, making conversation as he started up the car.

Audrey shook her head. She mouthed the names on the letters before stopping in her tracks.

"Seymour, this one is from Skid Row."

He glanced over at her. She had her brow creased and was concentrating on the envelope.

"Who is it from?"

"Alastor Stanley."

She saw Seymour's jaw sag and his knuckles tighten around the steering wheel. They had almost forgotten. Mr. Stanley was sending Seymour information about his father.

"Oh."

He didn't say anything the remainder of the short car ride, until they had reached the shop and he had pulled the car in park.

"Can I see it?"

He held out his hand gingerly and she placed it in his palm. Seymour's fingers closed around the letter but he didn't move to open it.

"What are you thinking?"

He ran his thumb along the paper envelope.

"I don't know."

"You don't have to."

"Yeah. Yeah I know." Seymour bit his lip. Something burned through his mind. "Mr. Stanley knew the entire time and he didn't tell me." Seymour looked at the envelope. "My whole life could have been different."

They were both thinking that this was true, but it was unlikely that it would have been for the better.

"Do you think he was married? Or had other kids? That maybe I have brothers and sisters I don't know about?"

He looked over at Audrey but she didn't have an answer.

"I should have had a different last name. I wonder what it would have been."

He moved the envelope closer to him and tapped the corner on his palm. "Audrey, is it wrong of me to be relieved that he's dead?"

She thought for a moment before she shook her head. "No. No I don't think so."

He continued to tap the envelope on his palm. Audrey watched it.

"You also can't exactly mourn a man you've never met."

He nodded.

"Fell ill overseas," Audrey thought out loud. "My mama used to tell people thats happened to my daddy. I guess that happened a lot." She remembered something. "I know Orin's dad died in the war too, but he never told me how."

Seymour sighed and glanced back at the envelope.

"Do you want to open it?"

He couldn't answer. He didn't have an answer. He didn't know. She saw he had grown pale.

"Here," Audrey snatched it out of his hand and opened the glove box, sealing it closed. "You can decide lata'. Out of sight, out of mind for now."

Seymour smiled.

* * *

 **September 19 1965**

Seymour's fingers trailed along the spines of his textbooks on the shelf. He needed some information about a plant. There was one book on the shelf that made him stop.

Seymour picked up his mother's botany book and turned it several times in his hands. He smiled to himself as he opened the cover. Her notes were along the borders in pencil. He turned past the book to the middle and began to flip through. Unable to find what he was looking for he turned the book to the index. It was then something white fell out of the book and at his feet. Seymour put the book on the shelf and bent down to retrieve it. It looked like an envelope. The top had been torn as if it had been opened long ago but he could tell by the weight that the letter was still there. He turned the envelope to the front and froze.

"Audrey!" He called.

She followed his voice down the hall, and entered the room.

"What is it?" she asked.

He glanced up at her and extended the envelope. She took several steps forward and took it in her hands. It was older and more worn than an ordinary envelope. It looked as if it had been handled and reopened many times. The front in the recipient's place was written in neat black ink " _Alana Krelborn"_. Her eyes panned over to the sender and she felt a chill fall down her back. " _Marianne Fulquard"_.

"Where did you find this?" She whispered in shock.

"In the pages of the book. That's why we didn't see it at first."

Gingerly, and afraid to break the paper with her touch, she lifted the flap and pulled the letter out. Seymour rose and crossed, standing by her shoulder to read just as she unfolded it.

 _Dear Alana Krelborn,_

 _Of course it's alright to reach out! I've missed our chats and we haven't interacted much since I left working with you._

 _So Erik is out of the picture? I'm happy for you. You never deserved such a creep and I know it hurt me and the other girls to watch him hurt you. But then we come to the point at hand, his baby. I'd say I'm sorry but it doesn't sound like you are. To tell you the truth I was terrified at first._

 _As for what you asked, yes, people did and do think I was stupid. So you must've heard that John is gone. It's true. He didn't stick around long after our baby was born. I was honestly surprised he stuck around at all. It was always a matter of time, even before she was born. It stung at first but I guess it's alright. I'm not completely alone. That's one thing they don't tell you. People thought I was an idiot for keeping her and sticking around after John left, and I'm sure they'll tell you the same. I won't be one of those people. You love that child with all your heart! You wouldn't believe how big Audrey is getting these days. Some of her looks she takes after her father but she's so gentle and beautiful. She's my daughter and I love her. If you do end up keeping them, like you swear you are, maybe our children could be friends._

 _Sincerely, Marianne Fulquard_

Audrey moved her hand to her mouth and squeezed her eyes shut, but it was too late. She was already weeping. Seymour moved his arms around her and she leaned her head back on his shoulder.

"I had always wonda'd. Ya know? She did the best she could. It couldn't have been easy. But I guess she really did love me."

"Of course she did," Seymour whispered into her hair.

She smiled and spun around, hugging him properly. Tears were streaming down her face and she was laughing hysterically.

"And yours loved you too," she cried, pulling away enough to see his face.

A smile spread across his face. He too had always wondered.

Audrey snorted and turned back to the paper.

"And I guess it's fair to say we did become friends."

Seymour laughed at this. "We did."

* * *

 **September 20 1965**

"Seymour!" Shirley called across the shop. She held the phone receiver extended in her hand. "It's for you."

Seymour crossed the shop and took the phone from her. "Thank you."

Shirley nodded and returned to the back room, closing the door behind her. Seymour held the phone to his ear.

"Hello?"

"Hi sweetie."

"Audrey?" A wide smile spread across his face before he started to panic. "Audrey are you okay? What's happening? Do you need me to come home?"

"No. No I'm fine honey, nothing like that. The babys not coming yet. Don't stress."

He breathed a sigh of relief. "What is it then?"

He heard her breathing on the other side and it sounded as if she were twirling the cord.

"Nothing. I just… wanted to say hi."

Seymour smiled.

"When are you coming home?"

Seymour breathed out a small laugh. "It's 11:00."

He heard her exhale in annoyance. "It feels like much later."

The boredom of maternity leave was getting the better of her.

"I could come home for lunch."

"Okay!"

There was a comfortable silence shared between them for a moment before Audrey spoke.

"Ya know, this is the longest we haven't worked together since I started at Mushnik's."

Seymour laughed out loud. "Audrey, it's been four days."

"I know but…"

He heard silence and was worried for a moment that the call had dropped.

"Audrey?"

"I really miss you sweetheart. I wish I could be there with you."

Seymour's heart fluttered. "I miss you too."

* * *

 **September 21 1965**

Seymour tapped the alarm as quick as he was able before glancing back at Audrey. She wouldn't be working today, and he hoped she'd be able to sleep just a little longer. She was sound asleep on her side and her stomach stuck out like a peninsula. She was very still and Seymour had thought he had succeeded in keeping her asleep before she inhaled and brought her hand to her face.

"What time is it?" she yawned.

"7:30."

She groaned and rolled her face into the pillow. "No!" She moaned, greatly muffled, "No! I was gonna wake early and surprise you with pancakes."

Seymour was touched and smiled, resting his hand on her shoulder. "It's okay. I can make the pancakes. Why don't you go back to sleep."

"No please let me." She rolled onto her back and rubbed her face heavily with her hands. "Or at least let me make them for you on your birthday."

"You don't have to do that."

She moved her hands out of the way and smiled up at him. "But I want to."

With great effort, and Seymour's help, she managed to pull herself up and out of bed, turning around to pull the sheet into place.

"It's in two days. Do you feel any olda' yet?"

Seymour snickered. "Hardly."

She kept speaking as she moved herself about the room getting ready for the day.

"What do you want to do?"

"Go to work. That's what I do every year."

Audrey frowned. "What was it we did last year?"

Seymour was silent and ran his fingers through his hair before answering."We worked all day. I remember you wanted to do something after but you had a date."

Audrey was looking at herself in the mirror and sighed heavily. "I'm sorry."

He shook his head. She continued to get ready as he spoke but he chose to sit on the edge of the bed. "So I went… I went to the wholesale flower district."

Audrey froze. She glanced over her shoulder at him slowly as realization set in. "That… that _was_ the 23rd!"

He looked up at her with a solemn expression.

"It all started that day."

He nodded but said nothing at all.

"Gee. It was the beginning of everything."

Seeing Seymour's expression, Audrey paced across the floor and sat next to him on the bed. He was twiddling his fingers in his lap and she took one, holding it still in her own.

"Are you okay?"

He nodded.

This was great progress. Had this been just a few months ago he would have been sick at the very thought of the events that had transpired last fall. Audrey decided to take this moment to speak.

"I don't mean to justify the things that happened," she moved back further on the bed and faced him, crossing her legs in front of her. "But I often think about what would'a if it never did."

He turned and sat facing her.

"And I'd like to just think for a minute."

She waited for his approval, worried about overstepping. Instead he nodded.

"So, Septemba' 23 1964," she started. "No sola' eclipse, no plant. Just a normal day passed. What would we be doing right now do you think? A year lata'."

Seymour didn't answer right away. His silence worried her but he was just thinking.

"Well, we'd probably be in the old shop."

Audrey nodded. "Right." Silence followed before she added. "Do you think anything would have changed in that year?"

He looked down at the sheets and scratched his temple. He wanted to say yes, but that probably wouldn't have been true. Thinking back at who he used to be it was likely he never would have had the guts to tell Audrey he loved her. He was too convinced that she was too far above him and it was a foolish boyhood fantasy. So he would have just spent another year gazing at her from across the shop.

"No."

Audrey sighed and pressed her lips together. She too felt the same way.

"You're probably right. So just a normal day. Nothing would have changed and we would be in the old shop."

He nodded but her eyes grew wide with realization.

"Oh! No we wouldn't. Mista' Mushnik was closing down. Rememba'?"

"Oh gee, I had forgotten that."

This added variable took another moment to consider. "So I would have had to find somewhere else to live."

"I woulda' let you come live with me," Audrey added without hesitation.

Seymour smiled at this thoughtful offer but shook his head.

"No you couldn't have." He didn't want to be the one to bring up Orin so he added, "Because you would have had to find new work as well."

"Oh… that's right." She glanced down and unconsciously ran her hand along her abdomen before resting it on top. It had became a fidget of hers. Her mouth was dry and she swallowed. "It took me a long time to find the work I did. I would'a had to stay at The Gutta'. But that wouldn't have been enough." She looked up at him, reluctant to add the truth. "I probably would'a had to move in with Orin."

Seymour brought his hand to his mouth.

"I'd never see you again," he breathed. "You wouldn't be across the street, and you wouldn't be working with me. You'd be gone."

She closed her eyes and shook her head fiercely as if trying to shake the thought itself out.

"What would you have done, Seymour? Where would you have gone?"

Seymour had never thought about this. He didn't have an answer and there probably wasn't one. He wouldn't have been able to stay in the place he had practically grown up in. With his little education and limited experience it was likely he wouldn't have found new work. But what bothered him the most was the thought that he wouldn't be across from Audrey. Not only would he not see her every day, but one of them, if not both, would be gone. Never crossing paths.

He didn't meet her eyes, but took one of her hands in his own and ran his thumb along her palm. "Honestly, I don't know."

She didn't speak right away, and let him trace the grooves in her hand lovingly. "So… Septemba' 1965. What would we be doing?"

Seymour didn't know what to say. He thought of Audrey having to live a year with Orin. He might have killed her by then with how rough he was being. Audrey didn't want to think about Seymour having to relocate and being anywhere than with her. What he said though, surprised her.

"I don't want to think about that," he said looking up at her. "Because it didn't happen. And what did, already did and there's no changing it if we wanted to."

Audrey wanted to throw her arms around his neck.

"We're here now. And I'd like to focus on what _is_ happening September 1965."

She smiled. "Well then what _is_ happening Septemba' 1965?"

Seymour swung his legs off the bed. "What is happening is I'm making pancakes for my wife for breakfast."

As quickly as she was able to she scrambled off the bed and pulled his shoulder back, racing ahead.

"Don't you dare!"


	18. September 22-23

_Author's note 4-25-19: it was on this very day last year, April 25, that I saw Little Shop Of Horrors for the first time. It seemed only fitting that this got published today. It's been one hell of a year_

* * *

 **September 22 1965**

"Would you like the radio on? Maybe singing will help."

Audrey smiled and breathed heavily. "It usually does. But I don't think I want to."

Seymour gripped the wheel tighter and glanced sideways at her.

"Are you okay?"

She nodded quickly. "Yeah. Yeah I-I'm okay."

He wasn't convinced. He must have been more nervous than her. His hands would have been shaking if he didn't have such a tight grip on the steering wheel.

"Will you talk to me?" she asked.

"Huh?"

"J-just talk. Gimme something to talk about."

Seymour thought for a moment. "Michael started school again."

"Yes, I knew that."

"Oh right."

He kept thinking. She kept breathing.

"Shirley brought her kids into work the other day."

Audrey looked over at him.

"She did?"

Seymour nodded and she smiled.

"This isn't working, is it?" he asked.

She shrugged and shook her head. "No not really."

"Tell me what else I can do."

She looked out the window onto the street. The moon was hidden behind clouds and rain pelted the windshield. The streetlights were casting a warm orange light onto the shimmering pavement.

"You can tell me a story."

Seymour smiled. "What about?"

She reached over and took his hand in hers. He knew exactly which story.

"Once upon a time," he started. "There was a klutzy boy living in a basement on Skid Row."

Audrey smiled and reached her other hand over so she held his between her palms.

"He worked in a floral shop since he was 11 years old. And every day he wished for a better life. And one day by chance a beautiful princess stepped into that shop. With an equally beautiful name."

Audrey snickered. Her breathing was coming much more regular.

"What happened?" she asked before grunting.

Seymour held on tight to her hand. "The klutzy boy dropped a vase right at her feet. But the princess spoke up and told his boss that she was the one who broke it so he wouldn't get in trouble. She saved him, and not for the last time."

Audrey laughed.

"That was when he knew. From that very first interaction. He hadn't felt that way about anyone before. She cared. She was smart. She was kind..."

Audrey's breathing skipped and she squeezed his hand, lunging forward.

"Audrey!?"

She shook her head. "K-keep going. What happened to them?"

He was at a sudden loss for words as worries for her filled him. "Uhh, well, he knew he could only ever be a friend to someone like her so that's what he was. She became the best friend he ever had."

She covered her mouth with her hand and let out a cry.

"Audrey!"

She pulled her hand away from her face. "Skip ahead. Skip ahead. When did they get together?"

Seymour smiled despite his worries. "They got together finally in the fall. Back in an empty lot on top of a staircase by the light of the sun, he kissed her for the very first time."

She smiled.

"He knew he wanted to marry her right away, and didn't bother waiting long at all."

She shook her head. "We really didn't," she laughed.

"Nope. But it was perfect. They both left Skid Row on the train and came to somewhere that's green."

She leaned forward in her seat. They had to be arriving soon, right?

"We did," she agreed.

Seymour nodded. The rain came down heavily on the roof of the car. The windshield wipers splashed aside. Audrey grunted again and Seymour continued to distract her.

"They opened their own flower shop."

She smiled.

"They had their own business after serving others for so long. And they did a pretty good job at it. The bouquets were beautiful and they were so well thought out."

Audrey giggled. They rode in silence for another few moments before Audrey spoke.

"There's one more thing to add." She smiled and squeezed his hand thoughtfully. "What else happened?"

He smiled brightly. "Very soon after, they discovered that their family was growing larger. And that soon their house would be filled with children. Children of their very own."

She lay her head on his arm and closed her eyes. Despite the pain she was feeling strangely happy now. Contented and serene.

"And that klutzy boy from Skid Row thought that never in his wildest dreams would he be this lucky. He had the girl of his dreams, and now they'd have a family to call their own."

Audrey smiled. Seymour slowed the car and parked it.

As he unbuckled his seatbelt and opened the car door she asked, "did they live happily ever after?"

He was drenched by the time he reached her side of the car and swung the door open. Grabbing both her hands he pulled her out. He held her tightly as he walked her through the rain. She began to whimper and he needed to distract her again. Suddenly the song, her favorite song and the one he sometimes caught her singing, came into his head. He started humming it first and she stopped. The words came naturally.

" _No need to be afraid_

 _I'm here to comfort you_

 _The past is far away from here_

 _We've started something new_

 _We have a home and family now_

 _Just like we always dreamed_

 _Far from Skid Row_

 _You knew we'd go_

 _Somewhere that's green"_

* * *

 **September 23 1965**

Seymour didn't have a good track record with September the 23rd. First and foremost, it was his birthday. Which meant it was also the day his mother had died. Every year he was reminded of that by turning older.

Last year was the worst of all. The day of the total eclipse was on September 23rd. The day he had first met Audrey ii. The beginning of everything that followed.

He couldn't think back to any other time this day was worth remembering. Birthday or not, all just the same old day. But this, one year later, was a September 23rd he wasn't going to forget. As expected, Audrey wouldn't let the doctors take Seymour from her side. He didn't want to leave. He feared the worst would happen if he did, and he wanted to be there for her. The long hours of the day weren't as memorable, but a jumble of the same contractions and groans and doctors and nurses coming in and out.

One thing he would remember, though, was the first sound. The first time their child took a breath of air and cried out. It was like music to his ears. He'd remember the nurse wrapping them in an appropriately colored blanket. And he'd remember that before the baby could be placed in Audrey's arms, she cried out in great pain. He'd remember her head rolling back and hitting the pillow. He'd remember hearing the doctor shouting for the nurses to come back. He'd remember him shouting, "Oh my God! Oh my God!" It was something he'd never forget.

* * *

 _Credit to my AMAZING friend very-not-inanimate for the original verse from "Somewhere That's Green". And they're probably reading this right now. Hi!_


	19. September 23

_Author's note 4-26-19: it was also on this date, April 26, one year ago that I realized that I had seen the wrong version of Little Shop Of Horrors, and that I had cried for nothing because there was a happy theatrical ending. So if that hadn't happened this fic wouldn't exist. So in honor of that as well, it felt right that this come out today._

* * *

 **September 23 1965**

Seymour tapped his finger in anticipation on the laminate countertop. He wasn't thinking about the uneasy feeling that hospitals gave him, or the smell of blood. Only one thing was on his mind. The nurse returned with the forms and he straightened up.

"First time?" she asked loading the paper into a typewriter and turning the knob.

Seymour bit his lip. He didn't realize how obvious he was being.

"How's your wife doing?"

Seymour glanced from her back to the room down the hall, suddenly startled.

"No she's fine, I mean how's she doing emotionally?"

Seymour sighed in relief and smiled. "She's really happy."

The nurse smiled. "She's strong," she remarked under her breath.

Seymour beamed.

"What's your name, sir?" she asked as her fingers hovered over the keys.

"Seymour Krelborn with a K."

"Krelboyne?"

"Krelborn."

He spelt his name out loud and her fingers moved slowly to catch it all.

"When was your date of birth?"

Seymour smiled. "September 23 1940."

The nurse looked up from her keys and laughed in shock. "No way!"

He smiled and shrugged a shoulder.

"Happy birthday. Was this a nice surprise?"

He nodded.

"And not one birthday you're going to forget, I bet."

He shook his head.

"What's your wife's name?"

"Audrey Mae Krelborn."

The keys clicked. "And her date of birth?"

"February 22 1939."

The typewriter dinged and the nurse pushed it back, adjusting the row.

"And the name of your child?"

The smile didn't leave Seymour's face as he spoke. "Lucille Acacia Krelborn. We're calling her 'Lucy'."

He spelled this out for her as well. A wide smile crossed the nurse's face as she typed and she nodded as if to say she approved.

"Lucille Ah-cassie-ah Krelborn," she sounded out as she typed.

The typewriter dinged again and she turned the knob until the page had been freed. She placed the birth certificate on the counter in front of Seymour for him to approve. He ran his finger over his daughter's name and smiled. He had a daughter now. A little girl. The nursery Audrey and he had decorated would be full of life now. The crib would no longer lay empty, and the toys would have someone to play with them. He could already imagine her smile and her laugh echoing against those walls. The same laugh as Audrey, hopefully. Their house would never be the same.

He glanced up to see the nurse had already begun typing on another form. It dinged as well and she pushed it into place.

"And what is the name of your other child?" she asked.

Seymour beamed. "Alan. Alan Aster Krelborn."

The nurse smiled again as she typed it. "Surprised?"

Seymour nodded. "The best surprise ever."

The typewriter dinged and she freed the other birth certificate, placing it right beside his sister's on the counter.

"We don't see twins very often. They must be truly special kids."

Seymour smiled down at the two pieces of paper, and ran his finger along his son's name. Alan. He didn't think he'd get to be this lucky to have another child so soon. They had twice the love now. A boy too. A brother and a sister. The nursery was big enough for both of them. And Audrey and him had already welcomed them both into their hearts.

"Yes… I'm sure they are."

"Thank you sir," she stated, excusing him.

Seymour pushed the counter with his palms as he started back down the hall. Rounding the corner he swiftly turned to Audrey's room. He paused in the doorway holding the frames on both sides. He wanted to remember this image.

Audrey was sitting up in bed but she wasn't looking at Seymour. Pushed against her bed was a hospital bassinet. Seymour saw both his children. They weren't crying at the moment. Audrey was cooing and stroking their cheeks with her thumb. She was absolutely beaming down at these children.

Looking up she noticed Seymour had come back to the room. "Hi," she mouthed.

He smirked. "Hi," he whispered back.

Audrey scooted over on her bed and pat the free half of her mattress with her palm for him to sit down.

He climbed up and sat down parallel her. The bed was angled comfortably in a sitting position. It was nice they were so small that they both fit snuggly.

Seymour heard one of his children begin to fuss.

"Shhhh," Audrey cooed, "there there."

Audrey reached in the bassinet and pulled out a little bundle wrapped in a blue blanket. Alan. She lay him down in the crook of her arm.

"Hello sweetheart," she whispered.

Their son was looking back at them. Such a tiny thing. Seymour thought babies were supposed to be bigger, but he seemed to be alright. One head, two eyes, ten fingers, ten toes. His hair was a sheer brown fuzz which sprouted the beginning of a head of brown curly hair like his father's. His colorless eyes were open and looking at his parents.

"We won't know for a while what color his eyes'll be," Audrey explained in a low voice. "Most babies are born with blue, but they change over time."

"They'll be brown," Seymour said with certainty. "Like his mother's."

She turned to him. "How do you know?"

Seymour smiled and shrugged. "I just do."

Almost without realizing, Audrey began to move her arms over. Seymour was nervous but excited. She passed him off and held his head with her hand until it was snug comfortably on Seymour's arm.

"Here's your daddy," she whispered to Alan.

His son yawned widely and settled in before looking up and meeting his gaze. Seymour moved the blanket to cover them up further, hoping he was warm enough. He had never held a baby before today. Was he doing it right? Seymour looked up when he heard the pink wrapped bundle begin to fuss, and saw Audrey reach in for her as well. Lucy. She wasn't as lucky as her brother to have much hair. Though hers was a transparent blonde, so it was much harder to see at the moment. She too had colorless grey eyes. Her nose was her own though. Small and slightly upturned. It reminded Seymour of an adorable little mouse. He liked it a lot.

Seymour's glanced moved between the child in blue and the child in pink.

"You're here," he whispered in awe.

Audrey giggled.

"I'm Seymour," he stated, before smiling and realizing how silly he was being.

"No… I'm your dad. Hi. It's nice to meet you. We've been waiting a long time to meet you."

Audrey smiled and lay her head down on Seymour's shoulder.

"Welcome to the world Lucy and Alan."

* * *

 _Quick shout out to my AMAZING Little Shop friends who not only picked the middle names, but twisted my arm again and again until I decided Audrey and Seymour would indeed have twins. Now I wouldn't have the story any other way. And I hope you were pleased. They also have been my biggest supporters, and I owe a lot of this story to them. I love you guys._


	20. September 30 - October 14

**September 30 1965**

Seymour held the receiver with one hand and tapped his finger on the back room table impatiently with the other. Suddenly he heard a voice on the other end.

"Hello?"

He smiled. "Hi Audrey."

"Seymour? Hi! What's going on?"

He trailed his finger along the wood pattern as he spoke. "Nothing. I just wanted to check on you. How are you feeling?"

He heard her laugh. "I'm feeling fine sweetie. Thank you."

"How are our kids?"

"They're fine too. Lucy is sleeping. Alan's here with me but he doesn't have much to say. Want me to tell him 'hi' for you?"

Seymour laughed this time. "Sure."

He heard her voice as if she had moved the phone away as she spoke. "Your daddy says hi."

Seymour laughed again. "Did he say anything?"

"Yes. He's wondering if you're coming home for lunch."

He nodded. "Sure."

"Great."

Neither spoke for a moment as Seymour sat in peace.

"Seymour? Seymour are you still there?"

"Yeah I'm still here. I just… I love you Audrey."

"I love you too."

He smiled. "And tell Alan and Lucy I love them too."

She moved the phone away again. "Your daddy says he loves you."

* * *

 **October 1 1965**

Taking a deep breath Seymour reached into his pocket and began to fumble his keys. Finding the right one and placing it in the lock he glanced back at Audrey.

"Ready?" he asked.

She glanced down at the infants in her arms. "I think so."

Seymour smiled and pushed the door open. They heard a jingle.

"That sound is the bell," Audrey whispered to Alan and Lucy. "You'll hear it all the time. It's a good sound. It means someone wants flowa's."

Seymour took several steps inside and turned around waiting for them to follow. He held out his arms.

"This is it. This is the shop."

Audrey spun around in a circle for Alan and Lucy to see from every angle.

"You'll be seeing a lot of it. Your ma picked green for the walls."

Audrey smiled.

Lucy began to fidget in Audrey's arm so Seymour stepped forward and took her in his own. Audrey readjusted Alan on her arm.

Seymour nodded towards a shelf of bouquets.

"You should get to know the plants. You'll see them a lot. They'll be your friends."

Audrey took several steps toward the bouquets and angled Alan to see. With one hand she reached out and touched a flower.

"Your daddy and I like carnations the best. They mean lots of different things. White is luck, red is romantic love, yellow is rejection, purple is unpredictability, red and white striped means 'I love you but can't be with you'," she smiled at Seymour, "and pink means a motha's love. Your grandma liked pink carnations."

Audrey reached into a bouquet and plucked out a pink carnation. She tucked it in with Alan and he almost seemed to grab it. Seymour plucked one as well and stuck it behind Lucy's ear like a flower crown.

Seymour walked behind the counter carrying Lucy.

"This is the cash register," he explained. "It counts money and holds the days receipts."

He reached forward and pressed the long vertical key on the side. The drawer swung open with a _Ding._ Lucy flinched in his arms.

"Oh I'm sorry!" He tried to bounce her ever so slightly to calm her before she started crying. She didn't though. Instead she stared up at her dad's apologetic expression.

Audrey watched this and smiled.

"Despite what your daddy thinks," she whispered to Alan, "he's doing a wonda'ful job."

Alan blew a bubble which she took as his agreement.

Seymour reached forward and closed the register very gently so as not to make a noise. His face relaxed when it finally snapped closed.

"This is the phone," Audrey explained, motioning to the olive green phone on the counter, with it's cord wrapped around it. "When your daddy is at the shop and we are at home we can talk to him any time we like through this. It's magic."

He stepped around the counter and held open the backroom door for Audrey to walk through first.

"This is the back room," she whispered stepping through. "This is where I spend most of my time. The bouquets are usually built here," she nodded to the table. "Shirley does too. She does a good job. You'll meet her later today I bet. And Michael, and Chantel. They've all wanted to meet you."

Seymour smiled. "We all have."

With her thumb, Audrey began to stroke Alan's cheek. He was looking up at her before his mouth admit a huge yawn.

"You're our little flowa's."

* * *

 **October 14 1965**

Both inexperienced in not only being parents but having a family, there was much still for Audrey and Seymour to learn.

Right away they learned how little sleep they could live off of. They learned that just because their child was crying it didn't mean they were sad. And that they didn't have to worry as much as they did right away. They learned maybe they were tired or hungry or just wanted some company.

Audrey learned that singing would sometimes help. Both children liked the sound of their mother's voice. The Green song was their favorite. The same songs that soothed Audrey now helped her children. Seymour learned how much he missed his wife now, not having her at work every single day. But he learned through this that coming home was even more special and had become his favorite part of the day. Audrey learned that when the weather was nice she could load her babies in a carriage and take them for walks. They learned that doing this was a way to visit Seymour at the shop. Audrey learned that she could often arrange a bouquet or two while Seymour, Shirley or Chantel rocked Lucy or while Alan napped in his carriage. Michael was still too hesitant. They learned that having a baby around was the key to good business, as people often came to say hello. Two made it all the better

Though small as they were, and still taking in this brand new world, Alan and Lucy both quickly learned how much they were loved.


	21. October 21 - November 1

**October 21 1965**

Audrey stared at her daughter's face in fascination. She often did this while she held her. She still couldn't believe the little life in her arms was her own child. Neither Lucy nor Alan felt real to her. But still, here they were.

Lucy's breathing was deep and steady. She yawned widely, and Audrey pulled the blanket around her tighter. She was staring back up at her mother. Audrey was trying to pick out which of her features came from herself and which came from Seymour. It was pretty obvious her blonde hair came from Audrey. Lucy was still too young to be smiling intentionally but every once in a while she would flinch her mouth into what looked like one. And Audrey swore it looked a little crooked, just like Audrey's favorite smile in the world.

As she held her, Audrey wondered if this is what she looked like as a baby. It was all left up to her imagination. She wondered if this is what her mother felt while she held her. She wondered if she would coo and stroke her blonde hair as well, or whisper how much she loved her while she slept.

Audrey smiled. Her mother wasn't around anymore to ask. That was a fact. But she imagined her here anyway. She would have been a grandmother. She would have loved her grandchildren. Audrey imagined her making a fuss over Lucy's blonde hair or Alan's forming curls. Then Audrey realized she'd be proud. That was never Audrey's motive, or something she had considered until now. Her mother would be proud of her. Despite being trapped there, she had left Skid Row. She had her own home now and her own small business. She had love. Audrey imagined her mother's impression of Seymour. Probably slightly confused at first but it would quickly change when she saw how Audrey looked at him, and how kind he was. She'd be proud of Audrey for catching such a good one. And she would be proud of Audrey for her beautiful children. Audrey was proud of herself.

Lucy had long since closed her eyes but Audrey kept holding her. She smiled down at her daughter, not quite ready to let go yet.

Reluctantly, Audrey rose from the living room sofa and headed down the hall to put Lucy in her bedroom. She heard something. Seymour's voice. He was speaking. It was exaggerated and animated. No, he was reading something aloud.

" _And, in fact, on the little prince's planet there were - as on all planets - good plants and bad plants. The good plants come from good seeds, and the bad from bad seeds. But the seeds are invisible. They sleep in the secrecy of the ground until one of them decides to wake up. Then it stretches and begins to sprout, quite timidly at first, a charming, harmless little twig reaching toward the sun. If it's a radish seed, or a rose bush you can let it sprout all it likes. But if it's the seed of a bad plant, you must pull the plant up right away, as soon as you can recognize it."_

Audrey recognized the passage and felt her heart swell. She turned into the bedroom. There sat Seymour in the rocking chair, Alan in his arms and holding his mother's copy of "The Little Prince". He smiled up at his wife.

Audrey returned the exchange and gently placed Lucy in her crib before turning around. Alan was awake, and his eyes had followed his mother. She knelt down beside and ran her thumb lovingly along his head.

"Hello little prince," she whispered.

He was their little prince, but he would have a better fate. He wouldn't go crazy over a plant that would cause him his death. And his planet wouldn't be taken over by evil hungry plants. That sort of thing doesn't happen.

* * *

 **October 31 1965**

"I don't think I ever really celebrated Halloween," Seymour commented as he looked at the large orange pumpkin Shirley had hauled onto their kitchen table.

"I didn't eitha'. Not really. But I liked to dress up like a princess."

Shirley smiled at Audrey. "Have you ever carved a pumpkin?"

She shook her head.

"Well here." Shirley worked her way across the kitchen and retrieved a rather sharp and large knife. Holding the pumpkin by the stem she sliced into the flesh.

"We didn't have pumpkins last year at the old shop. Or even decorations. We were, umm, too preoccupied to do anything special. But I don't think we did anything for halloween the year before."

"Nope," Seymour said in agreement. "Or any year before."

Shirley sighed, focusing hard on the pumpkin and pulling the knife out with a grunt. Seymour heard laughter and moved so he was able to see out the kitchen window. Both Shirley's son, James, and her daughter, Suzy, were outside playing in the yard. There were orange and yellow leaves scattered about the yard and they were making the most of them. Both of them had formed a giant pile before Suzy took a belly flop. James grabbed a handful and showered them on his sister's head. Seymour thought that it wouldn't be long before their own kids would be playing out in the leaves. He glanced over at Alan, still in Audrey's arms, and heard silence coming from their room as Lucy slept soundly.

"James was hoping he could help decorate the shop next year," Shirley joked, taking another plunge with her knife. "He was saying how he wanted to smear fake blood all over the window."

"No blood." Audrey shook her head. She saw Seymour out of the corner of her eye. "It makes me sick," she fibbed.

Shirley shook her head as well. "It's definitely not for everyone."

Finally she placed the knife down on the kitchen table and gripped the pumpkin by the stem. Pulling hard with a grunt, the top came off to reveal a gooey inside. Audrey and Seymour were fascinated. They had never seen the inside of a pumpkin in the flesh.

"Now comes the messy part."

As if sensing this, both her children entered through the back door, tumbling over each other.

"I wanna scoop it!"

James was much taller and was able to push past. He looked in as his mother tilted the pumpkin to show the inside. He made a playful cringe and rolled up his sleeve.

Suzy didn't go to the pumpkin. Instead she walked over to Audrey, seated in a kitchen chair holding her son.

"Mrs. Krelborn, do you like my mask?" she asked. Suzy pulled the mask she had hanging around her neck over her face and made a fake growl.

"I do," Audrey encouraged.

Alan didn't and began to fuss. Audrey bounced him in her arms. Suzy dropped her mask and stood guilt stricken.

"I'm sorry little baby. It's not a monster. It's me."

Suzy moved close to Alan's face and stuck out her tongue in a goofy manner, making baby noises. It worked and Alan stared in interest. Audrey laughed.

"Monsters aren't even real," James chimed from over at the table as he held a handful of seeds.

"Are too!"

This was an argument the two had had before more than once. James needed validation.

"Mr. Krelborn, have YOU ever seen a monster?"

Audrey looked up from her son. Seymour hesitated but only for a moment.

"I have."

Suzy turned around and faced him. "You have?!"

Seymour nodded.

"Where?"

Audrey was staring at him as he spoke. "Back in the city."

Maybe this would help. Maybe this would be a way of getting the story off his chest. A scary children's story. That's all it seemed now. Nobody would believe it anyway.

"What'd it look like?" James asked.

He held his hand high above his head. "It must've been 10 feet tall. And had large teeth."

Suzy moved her fingers in front of her mouth to look like fangs. "Was it a vampire?"

"No."

"What was it?"

Seymour thought about his answer. "An alien plant monster."

Suzy gasped in alarm and James laughed, though slightly uneased.

"What'd it do?"

"It did something terrible. The worst thing imaginable." His voice was animated. Shirley was laughing along.

"What?!"

He motioned to his wife. "It tried to eat Audrey!"

Suzy gasped. "Oh no! Oh no!" She turned to Audrey and gripped her arm. "What happened?"

"He saved me," Audrey replied. "Like a hero. He pried the jaws open and pulled me out."

James seemed much less sure that this was a story and began to feel as nervous as his sister.

"W-well is it still around?"

Audrey shook her head. "No. That's another thing he did. He beat that monsta'. It can't hurt anybody anymore because he killed it!"

Suzy cheered and James secretly let out a sigh of relief.

"Mr. Krelborn, was that real?" he asked.

Seymour turned to James. "Do you think it is?"

He bit his lip and pretended to have a big interest in the pumpkin he was carving.

Alan had began to doze off and Seymour reached forward so Audrey could place him in his arms. He left down the hall.

Suzy took Audrey's hand. "Mrs. Krelborn have YOU seen any other monsters?"

Audrey thought for a moment as well. "Not quite a monsta'. A man. But he only looked like a man. He was a monsta' on the inside."

"What'd he look like?"

Audrey rose from her spot and slowly crossed the room, digging in a kitchen drawer.

"He was mean, dark and there was one thing you had to be sure to do."

"What?!"

Audrey grabbed a wooden spoon and spun around. "Look out for the drill!"

She made a buzzing noise and ticked Suzy with the spoon. She screamed, first in alarm and then laughter.

* * *

 **November 1 1965**

Michael put his broom aside and brushed his hands off on his pants.

"Is there anything else you need from me Mr. Krelborn?"

He was already getting ready to leave when Seymour held up his hand.

"Yes just hold on a minute," he said, not looking up from the order form he was reading.

Michael froze in his spot.

Seymour looked up and smiled at him. "There's a good deal of orders for corsages for the end of next week. Is your school having a dance?"

Michael was stunned. "Yes sir." He chewed the inside of his lip.

"I was wondering if you'd want that day off."

He manufactured a smile and shook his head. "No sir, that's alright."

Seymour frowned and put the order form on the counter. Michael wasn't looking at him, but down at his hands as he began to wring them.

Shirley chimed in from across the shop. "Why not?"

He brushed his foot along the wood floor in a fidget. "I don't think I'm going."

"Oh sweetie, whyever not?"

He halfhearted shrugged and opened his mouth to speak before changing his mind and closing it again.

Seymour sighed and felt pity for Michael. He understood his pain. He had lived with this self doubt for the majority of his life. He didn't want to pester him, but Shirley knew that doing nothing would also result in nothing.

"But what about your date?" she asked.

Michael squinted at Shirley, wondering what she was getting at. "I don't…" he ran his hand through his hair.

"Thank you Michael," Seymour stated excusing him. "Have a good night."

He looked back at Seymour and nodded before turning back to the floor. "Goodnight." But he was unable to get his feet to move. Seymour could see his grief on his face. Suddenly, a quiet voice from across the shop broke the silence.

"Michael…"

He turned around. Chantel was standing by the coat rack. Her purse was already slung over her shoulder as she was ready to go. And in her hands she held Michael's windbreaker. She took several steps forward and extended it out to him.

"I don't have a date either. Would you like to go with me?"

Shirley and Seymour couldn't see Michael's face because his back was to them. But they could only imagine his expression or his wide smile.

"...Yeah. Yeah I would."

Chantel smiled warmly and pressed his windbreaker into his hands. "Will you walk me home?"

He nodded and shrugged into his jacket, motioning to the door.

"Wait, Chantel," Shirley called, causing her to turn back around. "I'll make your corsage. What do you want?"

She glanced from Shirley, to Michael, and back with a smile. "Lilacs."

Michael held the door open for Chantel and she passed in front of him. The bell chimed as they left.

The silence didn't last. Shirley admit a large sigh of relief, followed by a hysterical laugh. "Oh my God! Finally!"

Seymour picked up the phone and swiftly began to spin the dial.

"What are you doing?"

He smiled. "I wanna tell Audrey. She'll be so excited."

* * *

 _Credit to Antoine de Saint-Exupéry for the passage from "The Little Prince"_


	22. November 8 - November 28

**November 8 1965**

Upon coming home from lunch, Seymour was surprised. First, at the near silence of the house. Since having a set of infant twins, silence was more seldom than it had been before. Not even the rattle of the television set or the buzz of the record player or radio was present at the moment. Second, he was surprised at what he saw.

Seymour pushed his key in the lock, and pressed the door open slowly. He saw Audrey first. She was laying on her back on the living room floor. At first Seymour was alarmed but then he noticed her steady rise and fall of her breathing. She was just sleeping. Still fully dressed, she lay on her back with her eyes closed. Her arm was draped across her chest, holding Alan. He was laying on his mother's torso, ear pressed against her beating heart, also sound asleep. Audrey had one arm across him keeping him secure, and one arm held out. And that hand was being held by Lucy. She too was sleeping on her back, just beside her mother. Her entire hand held tight to her mother's finger like a ring. All three looked so peaceful.

Seymour couldn't bring himself to wake them up. Instead he grabbed the blanket off the back of the couch and draped it across them all. Audrey's mouth flinched into a smile as she slept.

Seymour lay down on his stomach beside his family. Lucy began to quietly stir and opened her eyes. She glanced at Seymour, who playfully held a finger to his lips. He took his hand closest to her and grabbed her other hand, holding it between his thumb and forefinger. Lucy wrapped her fingers around him and fell back asleep. Seymour quickly followed.

* * *

 **November 15 1965**

"You look so natural," Audrey commented with a smile.

Chantel let out a giggle as she rocked Alan side to side in her arms. She swayed her hips and began to sing a song from the radio.

" _Come my little baby, I want you to know_

 _Come my little baby, never let me go_

 _Come my little baby I want you to knooow I love you soooo"_

Audrey giggled in admiration. She saw Michael just over Chantel's shoulder. He was smiling at her too. Though Audrey noticed this smile was different. He wasn't tucking his chin down, and he wasn't gazing at her sideways while pretending to water a plant. He was looking straight on, holding his head high, and beaming. Audrey couldn't help but feel a small twinge of excitement. She had wondered how their date at the dance had been. Based on their body language she guessed it had been well.

"Would you like to hold him, Michael?" Audrey asked.

Chantel turned over her shoulder and smiled at him.

He was much more hesitant. "I-I don't know. Would that be okay? Do you think I'd drop him?"

"You'll be fine," Audrey laughed with certainty.

Seymour noticed this exchange from the counter and added for encouragement, "He squirms less than Lucy."

Michael considered this.

Chantel took a step towards Michael and held up her arms.

"Like this."

He tried to mirror her movements. She took another step forward and as gently as she was able, lay Alan down in Michaels arms. "There ya go, little buddy."

Chantel stepped back and smiled. Michael looked more than a little surprised. He stared down at this small infant gazing back up at him, sucking his thumb.

"I'm holding a baby."

Chantel giggled and stepped beside him, rubbing her palm against his back.

"I'm doing it. I'm holding a baby." His voice was rising with excitement.

Alan made a noise and Michael held his breath, terrified he'd start crying. But he didn't. He just snuggled into the crook of his arm.

"Hi Alan," he whispered before clearing his throat and trying again. "I guess you'll work here one day too."

At this he smiled up at Chantel, who was already smiling at him. His heart fluttered. "You'll love it."

Chantel placed her hands on her heart and nodded, turning to Alan. "You will. You really will."

* * *

It was barely an hour later when Michael emerged from the back room with a dopey grin on his face. Audrey recognized this elation. She also recognized something else.

"Michael you've got something on your face."

He ran his finger along his nose. "I do? Where?"

She pointed to the corner of her own mouth. Michael grew flustered and he blushed pinker than the lipstick. Audrey handed him a tissue and he wipe away the mark.

"Oh… I-I'm so-so sorry."

He hung his head in shame, but his boss didn't respond quite like he thought she would.

Instead she giggled and whispered, "It's okay. I give those to Seymour too."

He felt his embarrassment begin to lift off his shoulders. He had wanted to kiss Chantel for so long. He was worried he'd do it wrong. He was 17 with no prior experience. That didn't matter. It rarely did. Seymour had been 24 at his first kiss. Audrey considered her first real kiss to be at 25, because it was her first kiss with someone she loved. They were all worth the wait. And all the kisses to follow.

* * *

 **November 28 1965**

Audrey took her hands off the baby carriage and stood back with a smile.

"I wish I could fall asleep anywhere," she commented to Seymour.

Seymour leaned against the backroom table and craned his neck to peek in and see his sleeping son and daughter. He smiled.

"Should we wake them? We'll have to go soon."

Seymour shook his head. "Not yet. Besides, I have one more bouquet to make."

As he spoke he began to bustle about grabbing white roses, baby's breath, and carnations.

"Seymour, let me make this one," she expressed.

He shook his head. "No it's fine. I got it."

Audrey turned to the order book. "What is it?"

"It's a bridal bouquet."

Audrey's fingers scanned down the page. She creased her brow. "I don't see an orda' for one in here."

Seymour cut an arms length of white ribbon. "It was kinda a last minute thing. They didn't want to wait."

He began to bind the flowers together and tied them all up in a white bow. He extended it out to Audrey. She smiled proudly and took it.

"It looks great. You're getting really good."

Seymour blushed. "Audrey… today is November 28. And that was the day…"

Her eyes widened. "The day you asked me to marry you!" she finished.

Seymour smiled and nodded to the bouquet. Audrey realized the gesture and held the flowers against her heart.

"Oh that was so sweet. Thank you."

"You didn't get a bouquet," he explained. Audrey noticed him bite his lip.

"That didn't matta'. Besides, I have this one now."

Still biting his lip he smiled.

They had discussed their wedding in the past. At city hall it was as perfect as they wanted it to be. Although consistently planning a dream life, Audrey hadn't been imagining a fairytale wedding. She didn't have a father to walk her down the aisle. She didn't have many friends to be bridesmaids. And at the time they didn't have much money and it seemed like a waste. She didn't want a church wedding just to remind her of the things she didn't have. All that mattered was who she was marrying and the promises they both made. That was all she really wanted. However, she couldn't help herself with the dress, and Seymour thought she looked lovely.

"I'm sorry I didn't do it right."

Audrey creased her brow.

He explained, "I was rambling and asked you so fast. I messed up."

Audrey smiled and shook her head. "No, no you didn't. It was perfect."

"But it wasn't how I wanted to do it."

Audrey took a step closer, standing directly beside him almost touching. "Had you thought about it before?"

He smiled sheepishly and nodded.

"What did you want to do?"

Seymour glanced around before taking a step back. Before Audrey could say anything he dropped down to one knee. He took her free hand in his.

"Audrey," he started. "I love you so much. I always have and I promise that I always will. You're my best friend."

Audrey felt her heart swell as he went on.

"I wish you could see yourself the way I see you. You're smart and fun and sweet and good and beautiful. I've wanted to marry you for a very long time. Since the day I met you. I knew I would never feel the same way about anyone else."

He paused. Audrey could see he was perplexed at what to say next. There was so much he wanted to say. But how to say it?

Audrey squeezed his hand and got down on her knees in front of him as well.

Now level, she looked into his blue eyes. She remembered the boy who stood before her a year ago and asked her the same question. A different lifetime.

The walls of the shop where melted away, replaced by decrepit brick walls in a Skid Row lot. Seymour's confident smile had been much more unsure and nearly terrified. At the time he still didn't know how much he was loved.

Much would come to them. More than they would know. They dreamed of a house, they moved into a house right away. They dreamed of being more than just shop hands, and they opened their own shop. They wanted children, they got two beautiful ones right off the bat. At the time they didn't know any of this was coming. It seemed like a story someone else had written about them. But here they were. Audrey had loved that Skid Row boy. And she loved the man he had become. Even without knowing all that came, she still would say yes to that boy. And she'd say it again.

Seymour looked down briefly at her hand which she still had gripped tightly in his. "I'm sorry that I didn't tell you sooner. To think of all the time we wasted. All the time we could have been together but instead…"

Audrey took her hand from his grip and placed her finger to his lips silencing him. Placing the bouquet on the floor beside her, she took his face in her hands and shook her head.

"Neva' mind the time we lost. Let's just spend the rest of our lives making up for it."

Seymour beamed. "So that's a yes!?"

Giggling, she nodded. "Sure."

He rose from his feet and took her in his arms, swinging her around. Audrey was startled by this sudden strength, and erupted in laughter from her pure elation. Even after he had put her back down she kept her arms around him.

"With all my heart," she said, muffled by his shoulder.

She pulled back enough to see his face. For the millionth time in that year, he kissed her. They were both beaming.

* * *

 _Credit to The Chantels for lyrics to "Come My Little Baby" (see what I did there?)_

 _Also Happy Birthday to my good friend Very-Not-Inanimate!_


	23. December 2

**December 2 1965**

"Don't you have a pair of mittens?" Audrey asked.

Seymour rubbed his hands together briefly and breathed on them before gripping the steering wheel again.

"No."

"I thought you had a pair last winter."

"I did but I can't find them anywhere."

Seymour was always losing things. Audrey slumped back in the passenger seat. Suddenly she had a hunch. Leaning forward she unlatched the glove compartment. There weren't any mittens but out slid a folded white envelope right onto her lap.

"Oh!"

Seymour looked over at her. "What is it?"

She turned it in her hands. "It-it's from Skid Row."

Seymour nearly slammed the brakes. He grew even colder.

"Oh… I forgot that's where it was," he whispered.

Audrey gripped it hard. "Do you want me to put it back?"

It wasn't just information about his father that would be in there. There'd be information about himself. What his last name should have been. What his life could have been like. If he had any brothers or sisters, or any living family. That was something Seymour had been pondering for years, and had been most of the appeal in the first place. Seymour was still for several long moments before he shook his head. "No… no when we get home let's bring it inside."

She reached out and ran her hand up and down on his arm reassuringly.

The sky had filled with fat white flakes, showering down on the green creating quite the picturesque scene.

"I was wonda'ring when that'd start," Audrey thought out loud.

They pulled into the driveway. Seymour abruptly unbuckled and climbed out of the car. Audrey tucked the envelope in her pocket for the time being as she helped unload their children from the car. Seymour handed her Lucy and she held her against her chest to keep her warm.

"Look," Audrey said pointing to the sky and angling her daughter. "This is snow."

A flake fell on Lucy's nose and she scrunched up her face. Seymour watched the two of them as he unloaded Alan. Audrey hadn't walked to the door but instead had walked into the lawn.

"The green will all go away now," Audrey told Lucy in a low voice, "But don't worry because it comes back. It always comes back."

She motioned to the ground.

"It's all gonna fall and stay here. Like a cake frosting. When you are olda' you and your brotha' will have lots of fun playing in it."

Seymour smiled as his pictured this image. His own children growing and playing in their yard. It would have been different than when he was a child. Snow on Skid Row was never white. At least not for long with the dirty street. It was something Audrey had kept mentioning last winter. She had been amazed by this winter wonderland. And here it was again. Time would go by quickly, and Lucy and Alan would be wading through this snow, admiring the sky as well. Audrey pointed to a specific spot in the yard.

"Here. This is the perfect spot for snow angels." She moved her gesture. "And here you could build a snowman. We could do that togetha' someday. As a family! I could get you a carrot for the nose, and we can put your daddy's plaid scarf around its neck…"

She stopped herself caught up in the imagery. She could almost hear their laughter, see their rosy cheeks. A smile of dreamy satisfaction warmed her face.

"I'd like that," Seymour said. She turned to face him. "I'd like that a lot."

The entire family stayed out there in the falling snow for another few moments, unaware there was anything in the world around them.

They all walked into the house, Audrey and Seymour stomping their shoes on the rug before coming in. Audrey shook her head as the snowflakes began to melt in her hair.

Audrey moved into the living room, grabbing one of the baby blankets she had left on the couch. She spread it along the floor like a picnic blanket, and sat down as she lay Lucy on her back. She grabbed her rattle off the coffee table and placed it beside her. Seymour moved over and passed Alan off into her arms.

"Hello sweetheart," she whispered to him.

She ran her thumb over Alan's soft fuzzy brown hair.

"Audrey," Seymour started. She looked up. "...can I have the letter?"

The mood of the room had changed very suddenly, as Audrey reached into her pocket and passed the envelope back to Seymour. He didn't hesitate. He knew what he needed to do. Seymour held it in his hands before fleeing the room, returning with something small and square in his other palm.

He paused to sigh, wondering exactly how he wanted to put it. "Audrey, you know I love you."

She smiled.

"And that I love our kids."

Audrey nodded and glanced down at them. He revealed what was in his palm and Audrey glanced back up to his face.

"Are you sure?"

He lowered his eyes and nodded.

"You don't have to," she reminded.

He nodded again. "I know… I-I want to."

"Seymour, I support you. And I always will. But… are you sure you don't want to find out if you have a family? It's something you've wonda'd."

At this Seymour smiled. "I don't need to. I've got my family right here."

Audrey smiled, very proud of her husband.

Seymour reached into the matchbox and struck up a match. He held up the small orange flame to the corner of the envelope before it lit. He shook the match out and watched the flame grow. It crawled along the paper taking its secrets with it. Seymour moved to the fireplace and tossed it in so the rest would be able to burn. The two of them watched it go up in flames and turn to ash together. Seymour felt free.


	24. December 10 again

**December 10 1965**

This time it wasn't a nightmare that woke Seymour. Instead a low and quiet wail. Having the children's room directly next to theirs had it's advantages at times. Sometimes it seemed the walls were only as thick as the wallpaper, and everything, whether it be crying or conversation of the other to their children, could be heard by Seymour and Audrey. He saw Audrey move to push back the covers but put his hand on her shoulder to stop her.

"Shhhhh."

He'd take care of it this time. She could rest. Audrey didn't need to be convinced and sluggishly rolled back over.

Seymour took it upon himself. He pushed back the covers and paced into the next room over. His daughter lay in her crib, wailing and whining. He took several steps forward and looked down at her. She ceased crying for a moment and looked up at her father as he came into view.

"Hi Lucy," he whispered.

Her mouth flinched into what looked like a crooked smile for a moment. It was short lived; she scowled again and continued to fuss.

Seymour reached down and pulled Lucy into his arms. Her cries quieted to only small whines. Holding her close, he took her out of the bedroom and into the kitchen. Heating up a bottle he was reminded of the early days in his and Audrey's marriage. When nightmares woke the two and they made tea in the middle of the night. This was different. Everything was.

Testing the bottle temperature quickly on his wrist, he moved it to Lucy's mouth who immediately latched on. Seymour yawned. Still holding Lucy and her bottle, he went back down the hall and into her bedroom, sinking into the rocking chair. Her lips wiggled and she made a sucking sound. Seymour looked down at his daughter.

"Your ma is tired. She deserves to rest," he explained.

She fluttered her grey eyes before looking back at him.

"Your ma has been through a lot. We both have." he choked back the lump in his throat and continued to speak. "I didn't have my own ma with me growing up. It wasn't her fault though. And my father wasn't there either. Your ma had her own ma, but her father left too."

Lucy was watching him.

"I'm not going anywhere though," he ensured. "I'm not like that. Neither is your ma. We'll never leave you. I promise."

Seymour had talked to his plants all the time before. He knew they wouldn't answer but they would listen. And that's what his child would do. They'd listen.

"Once upon a time, there was a lonely little boy living in an orphanage in Skid Row. Not far off at all, lived a little girl in a number of apartments. Also alone. They weren't meant to stay in Skid Row. They both knew that. They were meant for something else. There was one thing they both loved though. Plants and green. And that was what brought them together. The girl became the best friend the boy had ever known. And for some reason he still doesn't grasp, and may never figure out, she loved him back."

Lucy took a break from drinking to gasp. Seymour moved her bottle away from her face. She was staring right back at him, and Seymour knew she was listening.

"Decisions were made…" Seymour moved her bottle back to her mouth and she latched on again. Seymour didn't realize, but began to speak to himself. "Stupid stupid decisions… ones that have been tried to be forgotten again and again... What happened already happened. And we shouldn't fixate on it. Not when we have a whole tomorrow ahead of us."

Seymour smiled.

"'Tomorrow'… I like that."

Lucy fluttered her lashes again, but gripped the bottle tight between her lips so Seymour knew she was still awake, still listening.

"They left Skid Row. Finally. They got married at City Hall and purchased a house just like the one they had always dreamed about. It might as well been a castle. The town didn't have a flower shop, and they opened their own. But there was something else coming. A miracle."

Seymour smiled.

"You and your brother."

Seymour never thought he would have kids. As much as he had wanted he never thought he'd been in a situation where he was able. And now he had two.

"Having you _both_ came as quite a surprise. A perfect wonderful surprise." He thought for a moment. "I suppose the story didn't stop there. After long awaiting, another shy florist got to kiss the love of his life. Information came in the mail. But it was information about the past, not tomorrow. So it went in the fireplace. And a red haired arrangement consulted didn't change in the slightest, but stayed peppy and sassy."

He was unsure whether or not she was sleeping. Her mouth opened and her latch on the bottle loosened. With her mouth still hung open, her breathing was steady. But her eyes were fluttering ever so slightly.

"Which brings us to today," Seymour whispered. "And everything that has yet to come. Their future cocker spaniel, watching I Love Lucy as a family while eating tv dinners, their children running the shop." With a quiet snore he knew Lucy had finally fallen back asleep. "Tomorrow," he finished. "Everything that happens after tomorrow. We'll have tomorrow."

Rising slowly and gently from the rocking chair, Seymour moved over to the crib and lowered Lucy back down. She stirred to make herself comfortable and fell back to sleep. Her small chest moved up and down with her steady breathing. Seymour breathed in relief. He was exhausted. But moving out of the room he noticed another little someone was awake and watching their father.

"What are you doing up, Alan?"

Alan took his thumb out of his mouth and flopped his arms up and down, staring and almost smiling up at him.

Seymour leaned forward and placed his hand gently on his stomach. He knew Alan wasn't hungry, or he would be crying. He didn't need changing either. He was just awake.

Seymour thought about how Audrey could have him asleep in a moment, but didn't dare get her, hoping that she was still asleep. Her green song would do the trick. Seymour knew that. But that wasn't the song on Seymour's mind tonight. Instead something else came.

" _We'll have tomorrow,_

 _trust me it's true._

 _We'll have tomorrow,_

 _we'll get through."_

He ran his hand against his son's soft brown hair and he looked up at him with heavy lids.

" _Clouds will be parted,_

 _sun will shine bright._

 _We'll have tomorrow,_

 _if we make it through tonight."_

With his thumb stuck in his mouth, Alan fell back asleep. Seymour stood back up and breathed in relief. With a smile on his face he looked at both his children sleeping soundly, before quietly leaving the room. As quietly as Seymour was able he crept back into his own room. He gently pulled back the covers and lay down, thinking he had been successful at not waking Audrey. But much to his surprise, she rolled over to face him. She was wide awake. Her eyes were open and she was smiling at him.

Very quietly, Audrey added, "and they lived happily ever after."

 **THE END**

* * *

 _Final Author's note: Wow. This was something. I originally started writing this fic October of 2018 and here we are June 2019. Nine months, basically my baby._

 _I need to thank a lot of people. I'd like to thank my mentor S. Snowflake for supporting me from the very start. I'd like to thank Somegirlwrites for keeping me going through the first few chapters and proofreading a few early parts. I'd like to thank my best friend very-not-inanimate for writing the original somewhere thats green verse (I already thanked them but wanna thank again) and for fangirling and making me feel good. And my beautiful beautiful Little Shop friends from both discord and tumblr for being like family to me._

 _But I would really really like to thank the readers. Yes you. Hi! Especially if you are reading this now. This fic was HARD. And honestly, after chapter 5 I didn't have interest in continuing it, and planned on leaving it to collect dust. But then I started getting comments and recognition. That had never happened before. This story ended up having more than TWICE the views of my next highest viewed story. This is something I never expected. And I always knew I had to keep going. Whenever I felt fed up or tired or drained, I'd read the kind words of you all and think "do it for them". And here we are :)._

 _If you are one of those people who kept me going without realizing it, then this story is for you. Thank you._


End file.
